"How to build a bridge between two different training backgrounds that have never met before; jazz musicians from a conservatoire (GSMD), and rappers from Roundhouse. Program and facilitate their rehearsals, and also produce and host a music event where they headlined??"

​

​

​

                                                                               .

​

                                                                               .

​

                                                                               .

​

​

​

First steps & influences

​

The opportunity for this experience was on my second year (2017/2018) of BA Performance and Creative Enterprise (PACE), at Guildhall School of Music and Drama (GSMD), I developed the project idea as part of the course module Pop-Up Performance. With the influences coming from many different places and artists that I was surrounded during that time, such as, the Basquiat exhibition at the Barbican center, Guru’s Jazzmatazz music, being part on the year before of the Roundhouse (RH) emerging artists Sound system, project led by Spider J., and also being part of (Im)possibilities jazz project led by the amazing Paul Griffiths which inspired me on the way he facilitated and orchestrated his sessions, creating and exploring music with such a charisma.

 

 

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

My first step was making a decision, which usually starts accepting a challenge that excites me as I have been noticing lately over the last projects, which on this case, it was to take apart a vision, divide into small projects, into small steps, plan, and execute these projects forming a bigger project. All that within three months’ time.

I was contemplating, and having insights about mixing jazz musicians with rappers, but I didn't step forward until this opportunity at school came, so I could reflect and develop the idea. It was a headache trying to manage it all alone, never the less, I had support from my tutors at Guildhall to go through it, with advises and structures. As a result I am really proud of the process I have experienced, and the skills I have learned and developed on the way, which I will try my best to put it all here as we go along.
All this baggage gave me confidence, and opens my mind to keep exploring this path collaborating with others producers and artists. 

 

Mind-set & hats

On the earlier stages of the process I haven't thought I would be wearing and quickly swapping between all this hats before; event manager, facilitator, producer, marketing, editor, social media, host, and etc. Each cap demands a different mind-set, approach, and language. Sometimes they overlap, sometimes they don't. They also have to communicate and feed between each other. E.g. the host mind-set is different than a producer’s one. The producer has an ample vision of the night in detail, he makes sure that behind the scenes, and on the stage is on the right flow. The information he has to feed to the host has to be filtered just for what the host needs to do his job, saving time, avoiding information overload, which could turn into misunderstandings, and problems.

 

On my case, as I was my own team, it was important for me before I go on stage to host, I had to go somewhere quiet, (picture below), and take a couple minutes with my host notes, to change my "hat mind-set", thinking then a bit in what and how I had to do my next action for that particular moment, such as, thinking about and refreshing my mind on how would be my approach with the public, how would I introduce the event idea, mention the artists names properly and their styles, and refresh in  the line-up timing that they will perform.

​​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​​

​

​

​

​​

​

Getting motion, Venue & Artists

​

As I started writing the proposal for the project, concretising and gluing the ideas together, and later on I realised that without it, the foundation of the project wouldn't be the same or perhaps the project wouldn't even have existed or turn up to be the way it was.
The project taught me that details are important. To be able to approach someone and speak about the project making them see that it will certainly happen. Therefore, in class we were having to think in advance about the details, such as, how many microphones the artists would need, where and when they would rehearse. All of this would be written down as the aims, goals and with deadlines inside of the project tasks.

One of my first learnings was that I couldn't and wouldn't have time to make all my vision happen. I had to start being realistic within the time frame and edit it. My full idea was a mixed arts event with live painting, graffiti, and poetry whilst music was also being improvised and created. Those were influences and inspirations from the Basquiat life style that I saw on the exhibition at Barbican. Basquiat would go to events in Soho, New York, which would gather a mixture of artists. Places like that are interesting in my opinion as people can meet each other, grow their network, start to collaborate, and learn.
Even though I couldn't do the event I wanted yet, people did get some important connections on the night. The rapper of the band got a manager for himself.
However, I am already developing ideas for my next event which I will expand more here later on.

 

​The project started getting motion when I first contacted Spider J. Roundhouse tutor, explaining the project idea, showing him the flyer that I had designed, and also asking about the connections that he had with The Lock Tavern venue, establishing a bridge between Guildhall and Roundhouse for a possible future collaboration for the event.
The way I would speak and exchange emails with Spider would be in a more formal way to pass credibility and confidence for the project.
The Lock Tavern agreed with the event, however, two weeks later they cancelled it. Spider J. got in touch with the Monarch, and on the night of 28th of November, we all come to an agreement to make it happen on the 13h of February, at no cost.

By this time I was approaching and confirming with the artists that I wanted on the project, people that I already had spoken with about the event, and my first ideas to create the band (suedejazz), which primly was to jam and have the rappers free styling on top of it. I wasn’t being formal on the invitation with the artists, I was just being myself, without a contract on anything, which perhaps would have saved me some headache in the future.

Musicians found interesting the opportunity to work with rappers and vice versa. I don’t think it was hard for them to see my excitement and belief for putting the right people together and make an amazing project, was the key to glue both parts.
 
It was really important to create the structure of the event night, I wanted to create the right flow on the first set of the event to contrast with the second set which was the band head lining. In about less than two months’ time for the event, I had a meeting with Spider to talk about the first set of the event structure, agreeing in adding three singers, and three DJs from RH emerging artists, apart from the rappers that would be part of the main project. 
 

​

Real Rehearsals & headaches

​

I started organising three rehearsals at the GSMD with around eight jazz musicians, and two rappers from RH to collaborate and develop the second set of the event; the headline fusion of jazz and hip hop.
It was far from easy to get all of them together for rehearsals, finding the days everyone could meet, to match with the viability of the space to rehearse.
It was major that I had everything noted down to stay on track and follow the plan through, helping me to make sure the room got everything we needed, booked all the equipments we needed in advance; amps, drums, mics and leads.
It all was going on whilst I was also taking care of the others aspects of the project, such as promoting the event, and going to work. Intense swapping hats on the last month before the event.

On the rehearsals days, it also was crucial, arriving hours before to setup the room, with my check list, to move the equipments, or if I had to go look after it, to save as much time as I could so when the musicians arrive, it’s all ready to go.

One thing that also helped me creating the vibe for the artists to create and collaborate in a better way, was the food, energy. I know myself that on the run we can forget to eat, and I can’t focus on what I have to do without energy. I knew they would have a long day before the rehearsal so I had bought some chocolates and juice for them to eat, and that surprise got all of them excited, I think on a sub conscientious level, they felt that I was caring about them. I didn’t have money to pay, but “food” is food. So every rehearsal I would also make sure I had some source of energy for them to eat.

​

On the first rehearsal, two weeks for the event, the rappers came, but only three musicians turned up in total. There were lots of cancelations, and I had no notices from the drummer. I had to play drums myself with drumstick that I luckily found in other room..., it is funny to look back now. Bless the artists that came in, and didn't go home, to help me out in that situation, that was two weeks before the event. I realized that a contract would be helpful to keep people accountable for the project.
Later on I also realized that the plan for the band set has changed a bit, as the rappers felt that would be better to do their songs instead of just jam, and I didn’t update all of the musicians, as I thought as they would all come to the rehearsals, and then we would talk about it and organize ourselves about it. These are the kind of things that we learn just by doing the process.
I didn’t know or have stop to realize, that jazz musicians are really good in improvising that they don’t need even to rehearse with the band, they can just turn up and do it, hence two another jazz musicians that just turned up only straight for the gig, which I just understood later on why. I haven’t updated clearly to all of them what was going on. So I think that, as they didn’t need to come to rehearse and practice a particular set, perhaps it was a waste of time. I remember that most of them were available only for the last rehearsals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

​

 

 

Even though it wasn't close of what I have planned. We got to jam, and got a few ideas together, which was important, thus it made all of us inspired for the next rehearsals, and dreaming when we had the full band, for the event itself.
We also heard some songs that the rappers already had made, and we started transcribing them into the band format, which then creates particular sections that demands the band to rehearse together, specially the rhythm section (Drums, bass, and keys).

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

The second rehearsal was much better.  I found a drummer and we had got a set the rhythm section, and also one saxophone, which was good so the rappers could get used to feel another instrument taking their place and doing solos. This rehearsal lifted and took everything to another level.
I also had to find another date with everyone to rehearse. I got really excited when the band was getting together, because then I could make videos and use them to promote the event, as it is really hard to invite people talking about the event, without even got the band properly set, and I had less than a week for the event, pressure times.
It started to happen, I was advertising on the new flyers I made for the artists on Facebook and Instagram, and also putting them on the walls of my school buildings, Roundhouse and on the Monarch website and venue itself.
The artists were advertising on their on social media, which helped a lot my promoting side, I can’t speak with their friends and public, which are really important.
My eventbrite really started to kick off to “sell” tickets just couple of days before the event, from 20 tickets to 85, 100. Exciting times.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Venue Technical Requirements & Event day

​

Whilst the rehearsals were happening, a crucial part also was visiting the venue, making sure it had everything it was needed.
Stage was provided by the venue, which was on its full capacity to accommodate the entire band on the second set of the event. A bigger stage would do better for future event like this one.  
PA, LX, microphones, leads, sound system, CDJs, amps, drums were all supplied by the venue with the sound engineer at no cost.  

Finally the event, all the artists and band arrived around on time it was set to do the sound check, and the doors would open at one hour after for the public. But the sound engineer delayed on his setup, delaying the sound check to start on time, also Suedejazz went over of their sound check limit as their needed to sort out some details, resulting in one of the singers not doing his sound check. The singer was fine with it, even though he would need just with one mic.  
One of the rappers later on performing couldn’t hear himself properly through the monitors. To solve these problems additional programming is advised for next time, and to do the sound check at an earlier time. 

 
During the event I would check with Spider sometimes as he was there if I needed help, also having an overview to advise about anything helping curating the event to make sure it all was running smoothly, such as, when to start the acts, etc.
  
I got on stage with the host mind-set programed to really be myself, and the way I joke with my friends when I do my own videos on instagram etc, which is some sort of acting, persona of myself. I got introduced the first act when there were around 100 people on the venue by 8:30pm.
There was a concern about losing public before the last act. But everything went smoothly and more than I expected until the end of the event around 11:30pm.

 

 

​

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Feed backs & next steps

The verbal and recorded feedback that I have got says that the event was enjoyed by the artists, audience, and even the Monarch staff enjoyed the night as I got a feedback email from the Monarch that says “The staff enjoyed the music and are looking forward for the next one”.

On my documents for the project, goals and aims. The intention was to make a small event for an audience of 50 people, linking artists from different backgrounds.

The result on the night was an event of an audience of 220+ people.

The venue invited us to play again on the 30th of May, and they also had 20% of the sales on the bar increased than in a usual Tuesday. 

 

Some of my key learnings for this project were that, if I will do everything alone, I need time on my side to/and make sure all my plan and actions are executed within a set time to be smoother.

Making a contract for who is taking part of the project. Nothing fancy, but with the aim to holds people accountable.

Program a sound check earlier, and even a couple of days before to make sure everything is running ok.

Edit flyers for the artist a couple of month before the event, so they can raise the attention of their followers.

Make sure what is it that I want to produce and if the time and space on the venue is realistic to make it happen.

 

On that night a producer approached me with one invitation to produce one event together. Doing it together will save much more space in my head, if that happen, we will have to organize meeting and exchange information about the process and where we are to each other.  

​

The band Suedejazz still doing gigs playing with rappers currently. We are exciting for what the future holds. We still rehearsing and making plans.

 

I am also developing ideas for my next event that I want to produce, which is the mixed arts event.

I am really glad I had the chance to make it all happen, these are dreams coming true.

 

​