History

It has been a long journey, from playing informally at small events while developing a career in Business and IT, to producing my own show, Not Just Jazz, and selling out tickets again and again. If you had told the girl I was forty years ago that I’d become a multi-award winning saxophonist, record label owner, podcaster, entrepreneur and mentor, she’d be over the moon. That’s exactly where I am, after all!

Here’s a detailed recount of my life as a musician.

Early Years

My first musical introduction was at age 8, when I started piano lessons, but due to household finances, I had to drop them. My love for music kept me playing at home. It is hard to believe now, but six years later, my music teacher refused to let me play the saxophone at school, directing me instead to play the clarinet and the steel pans in the school orchestra. This Steel Band was the first of its kind in any secondary school in Birmingham. We performed across England and toured both West and East Germany. The band played in episode one of the 1978 BBC soap opera ‘Empire Road’. Cast members included Norman Beaton, Corinne Skinner-Carter, Michael Abbensetts, Wayne Laryea, Joseph Marcell and Rudolph Walker. The Steel Band also featured in ATV Production ‘Saints Alive’ and were frequent visitors to BBC Pebble Mill meeting DJs Chris Tarrant, George Franklyn and Guys and Dolls.

Millicent Stephenson Frankfurt German Market 2017

Game Changers

A couple of years after finishing school, I finally had the opportunity to play the sax.  A close friend had a saxophone and needed someone to play it for a church event. Trusting my clarinet skills, I volunteered, borrowed his instrument and instantly fell in love with its sound. I went on to study saxophone to grade 8, and I performed widely to audiences throughout the UK.

It was in 1984, during a holiday to my aunt’s place in Los Angeles, that I found out that my cousin, Angella Christie, was a signed recording gospel saxophonist. This gave me the motivation to see if I too could develop my music and reach those highs. On my way to achieve that, I was tutored by the late great Birmingham saxophonist Andy Hamilton (MBE). I was honoured to be featured in his Central TV documentary ‘Silver Shine’.

Another musical interest of mine in my youth was choir directing. I was invited to direct a community choir from across Birmingham Churches for the service commemorating Archbishop Desmond Tutu‘s visit to Birmingham. It was there that I met my husband, Michael Stephenson, with whom I formed a happy family of two children. I also directed the Handsworth Mass Choir that won the BBC Choir Award in November 1986.

My first big stage performance came in 1990 and I haven’t stopped ever since!

Self-Produced Success

I self-release my music on my record label ‘Silver Gliss Music’, which I created in 2012. My first project was an EP called ‘This Is Life’, which broke even within six months of release. Later, I released my album ‘Reflective Notes’, which achieved the same in twelve months. My music is played on BBC Radio, as well as local and internet radio stations.

As for other releases, I’m a featured artiste on the TTM Collective Band Lover’s Rock reggae album ‘Inspirational Love Songs – The Album’ produced by Stuart Green and Gary Dixon.  My interpretation of ‘Take Me To The King’, written by Kirk Franklyn, was released as a single in Nov 2018. It was Number 1 in the BIWST Chart in January 2019. Other recorded song, ‘Just The Way You Are’, was voted Number 1 Listeners Choice on the Stevie J Stingdem Radio Chart.

My strap line is ‘Music for the soul’, as my listeners describe my musical performance as ‘moving’, ‘soothing’, ‘refreshing’ and creating ‘goose pimples’. Convinced by this, among other recognitions and my own self-assurance, of the promise of my art, in 2014 I decided not to wait for a label to take me forward, but to apply my acumen and put on my own show, which I named Not Just Jazz.

Laurence Stephenson Not Just Jazz Stage Manager Millicent Stephenson Saxophonist

The first venue for Not Just Jazz was the bar of the Crescent Theatre. To my amazement, the show sold out four weeks before the performance date.  Each year since then, the show has grown and played to a larger audience in the Main House of the Crescent Theatre.

‘Not Just Jazz’ showcases my original compositions, as well as my interpretation of iconic Jazz, Blues, Reggae, Soul and Gospel numbers with a live band, backing singers and dancers.  My fans described the night as ‘captivating’, ‘uplifting’ and ‘entertaining’. It also has a social side. For example, I featured the National Caribbean Monument Charity in Not Just Jazz III and Not Just Jazz IV.  This charity campaigned for the erection of a memorial in the Staffordshire National Memorial Arboretum in remembrance of Caribbean Military heroes.

I also do collaborations and session work for studio recordings and bands.  I started by joined the Highgate Brass Band in my twenties, and the later Monday Session whose lead vocal Treyc Cohen went on to become a live show finalist on X-Factor. Most recently, I played the sax for Toyin Adekale’s ‘I’m That Woman’ and Rhea Marcia’s ‘Sweetest Love’.

Teaching and mentoring

I followed in Andy Hamilton’s footsteps by teaching and mentoring other musicians. I consider it of great importance to actively give back and help those who wish to follow their musical ambitions. Due to this, I was invited to speak at Whiise Con 2018, an international online music conference where established musicians share their secrets of success, how they deal with problems and what they are doing differently.

Cafemnee Take Control Of Your Sound Sept 2017 Millicent Stephenson Women Set Up Mixing Desk

Noticing the lack of female musicians in churches and within the music industry, I set about creating and delivering a networking and empowering workshops for female musicians and singers called ‘Cafemnee’. Created in 2014, it was featured in The Voice Newspaper and BBC1 Songs of Praise in their March 2017 broadcast.

During the pandemic, I transitioned my women’s project into an online membership group called ‘Time For My Music‘, where members could learn about PA systems, video, and how to put on an online performance.

I honestly love to share my skills. I’ve been giving saxophone lessons for many years, my oldest sax student being 74 years old.  I also deliver music industry topics through my website Success Beyond The Score, particularly through my podcast of the same title, which was shortlisted for the International Women’s Podcast Awards in 2021.

Industry Lead

I have previously served as a member of the Executive Committee of the GMIA (Gospel Music Industry Alliance), a national voluntary organisation addressing the development of the Gospel Music sector in the UK.

In December 2017, I was elected onto the West Midlands Regional Committee of the Musicians’ Union, where I was involved with the day-to-day decision-making of the Union and supporting members.  In 2019, I joined the Musicians’ Union Equalities Sub-Committee, and in 2020, the Executive Committee. I stepped down from these roles in 2022 and 2023 respectively, to focus on my personal projects that aim to support emerging musicians.

Highlights of Performances

I perform around the UK and internationally. I’ve been at Festivals, Concerts, Dinners, Galas, Weddings, Funerals, Corporate events and Church Services.  Find below a non-comprehensive list of events I’ve had the pleasure to perform at: