The Cheerful Notes

You may have noticed in previous weeks, the very delay in posting covers, vlog's and also posting updates! The past two weeks in November have been immersive and utterly incredible.

💖 THURSDAY & FRIDAY ( 17th & 18th ) 💖
The rehearsal day had arrived, since finding out my audition was successful in the summer, I had been eagerly counting the days down.

On Thursday (17th) the ensemble also know as the Two Cities Twelves, introduced each other  - luckily I already knew some of the cast ( Mike Newbold, Marcus Whybrow, Michelle Smith and Alice Gee) from previous productions and also as friends but I was certainly thrilled to meet and perform with more like mind and lovely local actors and actresses.
We commenced rehearsing on some of the scenes including 'The Hanging' - which reminded me strangely of my FMP (Fine Art - Final Major Project) earlier this Summer after creating my two five foot puppets.


On Friday we commenced rehearsing the next scenes including my pe…

Apologises the forth edition of 'Life As A Musical Theatre Student' is one week overdue but luckily I have some very lovely things to report.

We'll start with last week's lovely surprise, after a uploading my previous cover of 'On My Own' a very nervous singing audition tape and kissing it away to the company via email, I am thrilled to announce I've been very fortunate to get a place with Creatio Art's Youth Company!

Second lovely bit of news? Yesterday whilst moaning over the gruelling 1000 word journal entry for acting, which seems to never end when it come to evaluating personal targets. After checking my word count, I was reaching the point of 'eff this I need a tea' stage.

I heard a very loud ping on my emails, thinking perhaps it was either regarding a casting call, but it was by far better. I squealed next to my mum, "NO WAY." I sat there in utter complete amazement.
I won two tickets to see one the actor's who I have adm…

As we bitterly bided farewell to Half Term, the return to college began as a, in a politeness an utter rollercoaster but like the troopers we plodded through it and now I feel raring and ready to go for the next week.

So what has this madness consisted of? A somewhat hilarious Halloween Showcase with the first years; a tap dance on a carpet and the only thing you heard was the odd dramatic clap - although our audience was 'minimal', which included the slightly amused Sexual Health Clinic aside us. We seem to come together as a company when we got to the 'panic' stage - let's face it, all performing arts students or anybody has had that sudden realisation and I quote 'Right it's time to get my sh*t together.' moment. We rehearsed so hard in the space of an hour, made crucial decisions on which dances to do which we agreed to do 'Monster Mash' (group tap dance) and 'Ghost Busters' (group jazz dance). We were going to do 'Thriller',…

Firstly Happy Halloween ~ let the spook-tacular madness commence. Today is the first day back term and believe it was musical monster madness - we had to present a 'mini' musical theatre showcase to the college to raise money for our end of year musical. In my 'positive blonde' attitude it went okay, not to a 'thriller' standard but alright for amateur youth theatre but we'll gradually improve as a cast I believe near Christmas.
But my absolute happiness moment is that I've only begun GCSE Maths - as you might have noticed in my past posts of utter distraught and anguish I failed Functional Skills Mathematics for the ninth time. Which was exceptionally embarrassing for anyone who has aspiration to go into higher education in two years. So two panic attacks later, a bit of persuading and I've managed to be enrolled on GCSE Mathematics. Last year in utter concentration to achieve a respectable grade in my IGCSE English and UAL Level 3 Fine Art, I co…

Firstly, you're probably wondering what is with the extremely weird title? Well for any Ghostbusters fans, the 1984 song recorded by Ray Parker Jr, not the 2016 version which let's be fair, Fall Out Boy completely ruined. Our group has kind of 'adopted' the quote:
"...BUSTIN' MAKES ME FEEL GOOD!" -GHOSTBUSTERS (1984), Ray Parker Jr.
The first term is completed, right now I am currently wrapped in a blanket surrounded by tissues, paracetamol  packets and many lovely warm chai teas to get through this very bizarre (yearly) cold.
If you have ever watched 'The League Of Gentlemen' my voice has been similar to 'Papa Lazaroo'.

Each week has been astoundingly fun; preparing for the Halloween Showcase; which is includes 'Thriller', 'Ghostbusters' and tap dancing to 'The Monster Mash'. The classes, the dancing - each day is never the same which is what I love, the variety. But the aspect that makes each week brilliant is t…

Studying and training in Musical Theatre is an absolute dream at the moment, I may be a bit left footed when it comes to Jazz, but even when something doesn't go right we give it the jazz hands.

The students are lovely and so talented, it feels weird to be the eldest and occasionally having to (literally) catch up! During my Fine Art studies I was sort of the 'middle aged' student, but the eldest was 47 years old.

To catch up, what's been happening this past month?
I had the opportunity to participate in Lucy Suggate's 'Swarm Sculptures' at Nottingham Contemporary and rehearse in the amazing new Dance4 studio in September.

I also had the fantastic opportunity to go to my first premiere of 'Hood' in Nottingham for a pilot episode for the TV series starring, local singer/songwriter Josh Kemp and a fellow friends and actors, Adam Guest and Mik Horvath.
It was so wonderful getting to finally catch up with them and would like to personally thank them …

'Thank you for the Music' the song that helped me get a place on my dream course, the comforting tune which got me through the audition and calmed my anxiety - also the character of a dream role I really wish to play one day.

From the age of six years old, an early evening in July 2003, I remember standing on stage - some of the children were waving really drastically to the parents, I stood there and loved it. I don't think there wasn't a moment where I didn't put my smile down and my passion for drama really began.

I'm now twenty and started performing professionally in 2008, but it wasn't until this year I actually gained the courage to apply for the training.

So I'd like to welcome you to my little musical madness, The Cheerful Notes, you'll be following every tap stepping and sassy jazz hands!

Currently we're into the third week, so far I'm adoring every single second, okay the coursework side is somewhat dull, but it's not that …

As I'm sat finally chillaxing in a respectable in a pair of cat covered socks - not literally covered in cat's bodies or the hair which always seems to finds itself in the strangest of places - your tea, your black coat or that really nice chocolate cake you were just about to tuck into, I'm not THAT yet of crazy cat lady (secretly I really, really wish I was).

Today I finally enrolled, literally I walked out the doors thinking finally amended my sixteen year old regrets of not trying for performing arts training and today I am finally *squeals far too excitedly*, I am a Musical Theatre student and going to be training for the next two years.

Although I had enough tariff points to try for Art School, I decided against it. Art is one of my passions but studying it nearly killed my inspiration & love for it. A Distinction in Fine Art will do, but it's something I can fall back on, my little safety net. The face of people as I say "Oh I've finished Fine Art…

IT'S SEPTEMBER! It's the time where you see a single leaf fall to the ground, hum the 'this is Halloween tune' and commence the drastic stationary shop around - in the space of four days; I've done the drastic shop for the stationary for new year of college, had one photoshoot, finished filming as a support artist, shopped for my dance wear for next term which included my first proper pair of ballet shoes (soft) and today I took part in a workshop with Lucy Suggate, Dance Artist for Dance4.

However... However? There is but one thing which is making me somewhat not quite so excited, the idea of hitting my twenties. TWENTY. I feel like I've sorrowfully wished those unused teenage years but at the same time I don't want to go back to some of those days, especially not the brace and letter box glasses phase, or the emo face, or the cargo trousers and puffy brown coat phase - Christ.

I suppose the idea of being counted as an adult is fab, and going to Universit…

Somehow my luck made a turn around, I got a surprise on the 25th August. From last September to May I worked my butt off for a good grade for my first IGCSE. It was stressful, because in the run up to the exam I was having really nasty panic attacks. But all the stressing, long essays, few late nights and one all nighter, it was all came down to one very unexpected grade. I got an A.

I was predicted a B, my self doubt instantly kicked in the run up to results. What if it's a D. The exam was awful, distractions blaring out the widely-opened wicked windows - people screaming, two alarmed trucks and the twenty-minute something screeching styled car alarm. I'm sat there with my head embedded in my sweaty palms and realised I was going to have to do something I've never attempted to do.

I did something which I was told to do a long time ago. Switch the outside world off. I went through the exam one question at a time and imagined I was doing a fun yet challenging pub quiz. To m…

Suppose it's going to be one of those days where I'm seriously going to have 'Fall to Rise'.

Sadly received not the most anticipated news. After a five retakes of my Maths. I failed. For the sixth attempt. Cue *melting face noises*.
Yes I cried. What else do you do. I mourned like I was burying a dead dog. Or a granny who dropped a stitch in her knitting. Or a employer at a desk who dropped their favourite biscuit in a tea. Or...Well you get the idea.

How can someone consider that they failed a GCSE Equivalent to A*-C in Maths but succeed and excel expectations with a Distinction in Level 3 Diploma in Fine Art. It just doesn't add up.

Suppose I should focus all the hope on my English and hope I've achieved at least a 'C' in my GCSE. If I haven't, I will be eating m'body mass in bloody crackers and drinking a bottle of white wine.

And whilst I'm in the middle of writting this post, I've just had to clobber a spider with my very best pair …

Summer has done it's usual and sped through till it's almost time to return to our daily lives.

I feel completely enticed about September because of my training but also rather apprehensive. Also I am extremely apprehensive about that dreaded sheet of paper telling me whether I'm able to be comprehensively correct. Basically IGCSE result day. And I'm stressing about actually getting a 'C' or otherwise I'll have another year telling me to retake.

 But my recent annual trip to Yorkshire contributed to a well earnt rest - From July 31st to August 6th, I had my first proper 'relaxing' retreat in over a year and my goodness, it was tremendous. Over the past year, it's been a wonderful roller coaster filled with auditions, productions and exams.

This holiday gave me the chance to have time with my family, because from all the time I've had at rehearsals, shows and ect. I've not had a lot of time to properly have 'catch up time'. I can e…

As you'll have noticed, I haven't posted in such a while however I've decided to return because there has been some very exciting happenings. Also you might have noticed that my blog title has changed from 'That's A Teen's Life' to 'The Cheerful Notes'. You're probably thinking as to why, well 'That's A Teen's Life' followed my last years as young person leaving Home Education and going to college, at the time it was an exciting moment.

In the past two years it's been an adventure; I've made lifelong friends, passed my BTEC Level 1 in Art & Design, passed my Gold Arts Award (AS Level Equivalent) and then got a conditional offer to study a UAL Level 3 Diploma in Fine Art which I recently left with Distinction (I really don't know how though). But... But? Whilst I studied Art for two years looking at the creative side of Backstage the Performing Arts industry, I made a turn around decision which was a somewhat '…