Your Strategy - My Progress into becoming a Session Musician by

(2) Making contact

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-07 15:46:55 UTC

After seeing the advertisement for a guitarist for 'SIX' I to put myself forward for the role.

(1) Finding an opportunity

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-07 15:48:59 UTC

I came across an opportunity to put myself forward for a role in a musical theatre performance of 'SIX'. It seemed like a perfect chance to really develop my session skills in a genre that is more difficult to grasp than my usual genres.

(3) Being accepted for the role

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-07 15:50:40 UTC

After speaking and discussing playing to a click track, sight reading abilities, availability and looking at videos of me playing, I was accepted for the role.

(4) Sight Reading

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-07 15:52:26 UTC

Sight reading is something I am familiar with, I have sight read guitar in the past for college productions of Peter Pan and Lion King. However, for both of these, I had the music a lot longer in advance than I will do here, and last time I ended up transcribing the notation on guitar tab to make it easier on the night - also something I know I will not be able to do this time as the first rehearsals will be only a week or 2 before the show week.

(5) Receiving the score

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-07 15:55:23 UTC

I have received the score for 'SIX' so that I can start working on the music and learning as much of it as I can.

(6) Sight - Reading Opening Number

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-08 10:17:10 UTC

Showcasing my sight reading skills to the opening number on the score.

(7) Session Work in Waterbear

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-08 10:20:24 UTC

I have been working with 3 different groups for their assignments, alongside my own.

Rhythm Guitar for 'Life Is A Highway'
Piano for 'As The World Caves In'
Guitar accompaniment for 'The Best'

These songs I have had to learn quite fast and also each one is played completely differently - 'Life Is A Highway' is a rock feel with power chords and 'The Best' is a very melodic interpretation of the song, with fingerpicking and strummed out chords - with a big focus on dynamics.

(8) Showing more interest

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-08 10:22:30 UTC

Due to my growing interest in session work, I booked in a meeting with Kieron Pepper to discuss options for things I can do while at Waterbear. We discussed my playing styles, my influences and what sort of things I would be interested in doing session work for. I also said how I play bass, drums and also sing so that I would be capable of doing backing vocals while doing session work on an instrument for a band.

(9) How this has developed more interest in other avenues of performance

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-08 10:24:17 UTC

Looking into session work this much, discussing options with Keiron Pepper and beginning to consider myself as a session musician more has led me to discover the role of a musical director in a band. Due to my other interest in production this is something I would definitely want to put forward when looking for session work with bands. I would love to build backing tracks for bands, control the backing tracks live and help to build the performance as a whole.

(10) Eddy Thrower 'Night of Drums'

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-08 10:25:59 UTC

Eddy Thrower, session drummer & M.D for Busted did a talk at the Waterbear Venue that I attended. It was very eye-opening and although my main instrument is not drums it really opened up the world of session work to me even more. I loved the role that Eddy had in working with Busted, the way he helps to build an exciting live performance and also controls the tracks while on stage. This is a sort of responsibility I would definitely like to take on.

(13) Future Session Work Coming Up

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-08 10:27:22 UTC

Playing guitar for the musical production of 'SIX' at the end of May.
I am going to be filling in for lead guitar for a small band from my hometown, we are going to perform at the Palladium in Bideford.
I am in contact with an agent of a band that are looking for a guitarist for some summer shows - just awaiting a response from him.

(11) Improving my Social Media Presence

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-08 14:22:54 UTC

To improve my social media presence, after a meeting with Kieron Pepper, I decided to change my username from 'abigailhutchingsmusic_' to just 'abihutchingsmusic_' due to the fact that everyone knows me as Abi and it is also a shorter, catchier name.

I also ensured that all my instrumental abilities are stated in my bio, and also the fact I am a session guitarist.

I also added where I was based and a contact email.

(12) Improving my Social Media Presence [Part 2]

abihutchings2 — 2024-04-08 14:24:32 UTC

I went through my Instagram feed with some guidance from Kieron Pepper, who has a lot of knowledge surrounding this area, and archived posts that didn't show me playing at my best, or ones that were several years old. I wanted to make sure that my page looked professional, even if that meant having less content - the quality of the content is high.