After some exploration here we are: Isa found their calling for jazz singing and improvisation and managed to get into the Royal Conservatoire of Music. They are also putting their photography skills at use by creating a portfolio of pictures of musicians they work with, with the aim of doing gig photography on the side! They also found an interest in designing promotional posters for projects they're involved in and want to be able to provide this as another service! If not on the stage themselves, Isa will always find a way to get involved in music!

-evidence of first study assessment performances (3)

- evidence of music theory tests, the grade 5 trinity music exam and applications of music theory knowledge, such as improvisation of harmonies, compositions and an arrangement for a big band.

- evidence of research on music business, program notes, legislation on child protection in the context of instrumental instruction

-evidence of research on online promotion and real life application of such content with links to my online promotion musician website and Ivy Big Band social media

Next, I focus on the structure of the material, prioritising that over the lyrics. With the songs that are more complex structurally I write out the structure with cues for each section, maybe a melody line played by an instrument in the arrangement, bar numbers or anything helpful.

After having nailed the structure I find that trial and error is the best way to learn the lyrics, trying to stop reading them as soon as possible and practice with backing tracks or a metronome to ensure I fully know the song in its entirety.

In a session context, whether that be a gig or a recording session, session vocalists may be asked to sign-sing a song, apply knowledge of intervals by improvising harmonies or be able to transpose and change the key of a song.

Also, having the musical language that is included in the Trinity music exams is essential for effective communication when collaborating with musicians

The first composition is a reharmonization of a song, which demonstrates knowledge of chords and creativity, skills that are essential for session musicians, as they are sometimes employed to reharmonize or change chord progressions in existing songs. This is particularly common in jazz, the area of music I'm most interested in.

The second composition highlights my skills and understanding of rhythm, which is essential for a session musician, which is required to work with rhythm sections. This demonstrates my familiarity with different genres of rhythm and certain customs of such, in this case bossa nova.

Genre flexibility is vital for session musicians as it broadens your possibilities for gig or recording opportunities. It also demonstrates a mastery of your instrument.

This knowledge is necessary when employed in a recording session.

This is relevant to my chosen role because as a session musician you may be involved in any style of music, and this artefacts highlights my research skills needed to expand my knowledge of different genres of music.

Program notes require research on the song, including its genre, lyrics, backstory and an analysis of how other musicians have interpreted it, which are essential to make a song your own. As a session musician you need to be able to interpret songs quickly and efficiently, so this research shows that I am improving this essential skill.

Being able to assess a performance, and evaluate the highlights and the areas that need improvement is vital for progress and excercises the critical thinking skills that are necessary in contexts like a recording session.

1. Fly as me by Silk sonic

This is a great example showcasing ability to be a lead vocalist in a pop band setting and arrange backing vocals to work with me

2. Strong Enough by Boygenius

This is a great example of session work as I was asked to do harmonies for a band and only ran through the piece a couple of days before the performance, still maintaining professionalism. This was also successful networking as I saw the band perform, introduced myself and expressed my availability to them.

3. any shades of black by Adele and The Raconteurs

I chose to include this as it shows my ability to adapt my vocal performance to a big band setting, as I was performing with the Edinburgh University Jazz Orchestra. This also demonstrates quick adaptability and professionalism in a performance despite minor rehearsal times.

4. To thine own self by Astro & Stella

This performance shows vocal versatility and creativity as it's an original piece that I contributed to melody-wise.

The genre and the setting is very different to most of my performances, showing versatility and my ability to change my stage presence to a different audience in the context of a charity concert.

Proficiency in multiple instruments is a good quality to have as session musicians as it increases your possibilities for employment and highlights your overall musicality and talent.

Trumpet playing also provides transferable skills in music, such as transposition, sight-reading and many more that I can apply to my singing. For example, orchestral settings require a good ear for dynamics and coordination within a musical ensemble, skills that are needed in recording sessions.

Skills in self-promotion and especially online promotion are essential for a session musician in this digital world as social media is one of the biggest ways of networking with other musicians and finding opportunities of employment.

• online strategies including SEO, social media and email marketing;

• evaluation of four platforms for promotion (Tik Tok, YouTube, Instagram and websites);

• research on the financial models of online platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp;

• research on trends in online music distribution such as short form video platforms and artificial intelligence.

I chose to include it to highlight my understanding of such concepts, which are important to know as a session musician in this digital age.

Having a website allows for a digital portfolio with possibility for individuality and branding. Being able to apply these concepts to a real life context and be familiar with online promotion tools such as website creation is essential for self-promoting session musicians.

Knowledge of music business allows session musicians to protect their intellectual property, negotiate fair terms and understand contracts, as they typically sign them for recording sessions and their fees are based on what rights they are granting.

This video demonstrates my abilities in harmonies and professionalism, as I improvised some harmonies in real time, adapting to the circumstances, which is a very common scenario that session musicians are exposed to, so developing these skills is essential

boygenius (2023) Not Strong Enough [Live @ SiriusXM]. YouTube video, added by boygenius. Available at: https://youtu.be/ZfokuIAhcFc (Accessed: 25 April 2025)

Zahner, K. (n.d.) Bossa Nova Beat For Drum Set. Rhythm Notes. Available at: https://rhythmnotes.net/bossa-nova-drum-beats/ (Accessed: 23 March 2025).

This article was particularly helpful to me as it explains how to cover the three essential bossa nova rhythm parts, which are usually played on Brazilian instruments, to a traditional drumkit.

I also chose to include this as it's very relevant to me and my area of specialisation as a jazz singer, as I composed two horn lines to go over the chord progression of a jazz standard, "All of me".

Being able to write melody lines for jazz standards is a skill necessary for jazz session musicians. However, this is a transferable skill to any genre of music, which is also needed for session musicians.

Severino, R., 2023. Annie Ross – “Twisted”: Best Song to Describe Myself. [online] Roberto Severino, 22 Oct. Available at: https://robertoseverino.com/annie-ross-twisted-best-song-to-describe-myself-digital-marketing/ [Accessed 9 Mar. 2025]

These are all vital skills for any session musician, but they are even better to have as a singer as it's good to familiarise yourself with how different instruments work and what role they have in different ensembles so you're able to communicate more effectively in recording session or even gigs.

Severino, R., 2023. Annie Ross – “Twisted”: Best Song to Describe Myself. [online] Roberto Severino, 22 Oct. Available at: https://robertoseverino.com/annie-ross-twisted-best-song-to-describe-myself-digital-marketing/ [Accessed 9 Mar. 2025]

This code of conduct is also helpful in any teaching context, not just involving work with children.

The videos also show my performance etiquette and professionalism on stage.

This highlights my versatility as a singer, as my other evidence for live performance is in different genres and settings.

This demonstrates:

• my singing and improvisational skills, that are needed in the genre of music i want to focus on, but also are helpful in any session musician setting

• my understanding of jam etiquette, having a good ear and silent communication on stage with musicians when it comes to taking solos.

This is also a good form of non digital networking, as going to jams is an excellent way to not only meet musician but be able to play with them and form connections.

My experience of teaching the trumpet for my instrumental instruction unit gave me transferable skills that are relevant to my chosen role, such as effective and clear communication, organisational skills, technical skills in an instrument and being able to relate my chose instrument to my student who was a guitar player and had never played a brass instrument before.

This is particularly important as in a recording session a session musician needs to be able to use musical language that is understandable and can be related to instruments that are different from their own.

When doing so I try to be as objective as possible, maintaining professionalism and prioritising the music.

To solve the disagreements I always try to start an open and respectful conversation that allows everyone's voices to be heard, understanding that compromise is important but not undermining myself.

Workbred. (2025). Session Musician Interview Questions (2025 Guide). Available at: https://workbred.co.uk/career/session-musician?page=interview [Accessed 23 May 2025].

Dally, R. (2025). 18 Interview Questions for Music Artists. Available at: https://www.richarddally.com/18-interview-questions-for-music-artists/ [Accessed 23 May 2025]