Music Space bursary programme update
We are just over halfway through our bursaries – a lot of exciting things have been happening and developing over the past few months. A summary below…
Gem’s focus is exploring voice, and experimenting with singing and spoken word in new and different ways. Her first mentor session was with writer and performer Harry Josephine Giles, exploring the relationship between language, poetry and performance. A mentor session with artist Elaine Mitchener included trying out different vocal improvisations, how to make different sounds, and vocal health. Gem had two mentor sessions with artist Lucy Duncombe exploring a granular synthesiser app, editing recordings and samples on Ableton, and using a Max MSP patch to process the sounds.
Monthly mentoring sessions with artist and organiser Han are focusing on creative and professional development, including everything from exploring new artists, networks and scenes in Glasgow, to the practicalities of being self-employed as an artist. Gem is receiving weekly vocal lessons with Cariss Crosbie to help broaden the voice as an instrument. Musician and producer Susan Bear is providing practical sessions including developing Ableton skills, live recording and the differences of working with electronic samples and recorded live instruments.
Gem has been providing mentoring for Girls Rock and joined a community choir as part of a production called ‘The Events’ by David Greig at The Tron Theatre. She is also part of GRiM, a community of artists debuting a club night to ‘explore, celebrate archive and chat shit about what Northern Femininity means to us’.
Look out for one of Gem’s poem’s is included in the upcoming zine Counterflows on Paper, edited by Helen Charman and Joel White as part of this year’s Counterflows festival.
To begin the programme, Aderayo was keen to experiment with layered vocals, polyphonic loops and ambient soundscapes – and explore a performance style where live vocals, experimental sound, and intuitive movement intersect. Her focus was also to build a sustainable practice that integrates all aspects of her creativity and lay the groundwork for future larger-scale performances and recordings. A first mentor session with artist and director Mele Broomes explored Aderayo’s ambition for the bursary programme including a focus on play and practice, as well as professional development.
A mentor session with artist Alliyah Enyo explored rehearsing and how to approach it, reading lists, and how to move with vocalisation. Aderayo met with artist Maungo to discuss writing processes, funding for projects, and well-being. A mentor session with Bemz focused on professional development as well as managing financial stability alongside creative work. Aderayo is building on her vocal range, focusing on singing from the upper chest/throat with vocal teacher Cariss Crosbie. Upcoming mentor sessions include practical work with Spike Turner to learn technical skills in music production.
As part of the bursary programme Aderayo travelled to Manchester to join a workshop for women, gender-expansive, and LGBTQIA+ people. The workshop explored movement and activated sound, including rewiring your body’s connection to sound, and experimenting with composition using the body as an instrument. To follow on from her first film ‘Dissonance’, Aderayo is working on the foundations for a new film and visual EP ‘Of Human Nature’.
