Multi Award Winning Female Saxophonist, Birmingham, UK, Jazz, Gospel, Reggae, Blues, Soul and Originals. 'Music for the soul'
Once you acquire a solid foundation and experience with the core elements of technical quality, your next step as a musician is to colour that technical proficiency with expression. The one who helped me reach this goal was Mark Bunney, about whom I want to talk today.
Andy Hamilton (MBE) opened the door to the world of jazz for me. As one of the biggest names of the genre in Birmingham, if not the biggest, his residence was always brimming with it. He was a fantastic player and amazing teacher with whom I advanced leaps and bounds in terms of tone, chords and improvisation.
A teacher can make you or break you. I’m very glad I crossed paths with Jonathan Johnson, who only ever sought to lift me up and help me forward. If you’re facing some rejection at any step of your journey, learn from my experience with him. Find someone who believes in you—only one person is enough—and keep pushing. I promise that it’s worth it!
I want to start here a series to pay tribute to seven people whose influence helped shape the musician that I am today. Through their teachings and example, they allowed me to explore my ways of expression and hone my skills. Their support kept me on track despite the challenges and setbacks I found along the way, and really, every time I play, I celebrate them with my music.
