So my birthday is coming up September 6th, all presents welcome ;P and if you know anything about me, you know I get into full reflection mode, so I was looking at some old blog/diary entries and saw this one and was like “yeah baby” so I want to share it with you, may it bring you inspiration! xx
“I’m sure we all know the saying “you can’t have your cake and eat it” however I disagree.
If I’ve worked hard to earn my money Take that money to the shop Buy a cake with that hard earned money Then why the hell can’t I eat the cake?! #JustSaying
I was born in the friendly town of Huddersfield with a thirst for singing and to be the best. A few years passed and domestic issues fuelled a change of scenery; a move to the not-so-friendly London borough of Hackney. Education and extra-curricular activities dominated my time, offering escapism from the peer group insults and further home-life issues that negatively influenced my demeanour. The string of supply teachers I had from years 7-10 had a detrimental effect, I was left struggling to achieve my usual high grades in the subject I deemed most important to my career; music. When my peers realised that karaoke was not on the syllabus, 75% of them dropped out leaving 7 of us to slog it out. I who knew nothing, was left with students who’s private home tuition ensured their success at the subject. No matter how hard I worked, I was unable to excel as the correct guidance just wasn’t there. Thanks to a permanent teacher arriving in year 10, I managed to scrape a C; my lowest grade ever! My drama education on the other hand was amazing, my teacher was consistent, knowledgable and tough, one of the best I have come across; I left with an A*. I still resent the music situation but use it to fuel my passion for excellent teaching as I know first hand, the effect this has had on my future performance.
Despite protesting the label of ‘underprivileged youth’, my social status enabled me to take part in many funded courses where I could further develop my craft. Winning singing competitions and performing all over London helped prove that ‘underprivileged’ youngsters could still shine despite regional setbacks. Growing up in the entertainment industry, I was trained to analyse everything; from the audience’s facial expressions, to the intension concealed within the text of a play. The skills I learnt in stage performance were easily transferable to all aspects of my professional working life. After graduating in Performing Arts with Vocal Teaching, I continued to put my degree to use by teaching others how to sing and use stage performance techniques to enhance their act.
I found a huge interest in coaching and my free time became filled with attending courses and reading books in self-help and personal development. Just as I had trained myself to overcome issues in my past, I also found myself naturally mentoring others to do the same, 5 year old students with shy but explosive tendencies, 40 year old bosses with career struggles, even my own Dad after he suffered a stroke in 2010. These experiences enhanced my ethos of gratitude for all that I have and was a constant reminder that bad situations can be turned around with the right support system and tools. At ScarletWorkshops we aim to be this support and aid people with the tools to not only understand that they can be the best in whatever they chose to do, but to also take action to make that dream a reality, enabling them to look back, just as I do, and know that they have worked hard to become the great person they are today.
Thank you for reading, Love always, Scarlet x ( Originally written November 19, 2014)
The Backstory Bernice is a 31 year old freelance communications consultant who has a “terrible” singing voice, she has always liked the idea of surprising everyone with an amazing voice one day. Bernice came for a private intensive lesson to help her decide if this was really something she wanted to take further…
After a 2 hour intensive singing lesson “I feel more confident than I did before I came. I now realise how difficult singing actually is, especially learning to power out your voice without sounding like you’re shouting, so I now feel more compassion for those on X-Factor who seem to shout there way through songs all the time, I have even more respect for singers now. I’ve learned some really good tips like how to remember lines for a song, maybe this can be translated into learning lines for speaking on stage and projecting my voice which is handy. I’ve always known breathing was important in singing but didn’t realise how good it was for speaking so it’s nice to now come from a place of being aware. I met a voice-over artist the other day who said her background was in theatre, so it all made sense at that point. I found it a really enjoyable experience, it was nice not to be judged on my singing, obviously when I do it at home I have to hide because nobody likes hearing me or I tend to sing when I’m running because that’s the only times I can get away with it. I think I’d would like to continue, I think doing this session has made me realise that everyone can sing obviously we’re not all going to be amazing singers. I thoroughly enjoyed my lesson”
What happened next … Bernice realised she wasn’t in a hurry to sing but took up a keen interest in the public speaking side after realising the power of breathing. She has gone on to take a few courses in public speaking and now has more confidence in her public presentations when consulting her clients.
Here in the Scarlet Gabriel Team, we are focusing on accountability this August and, therefore, we have highlighted this month as Accountability August in our calendars.
Being accountable for one’s actions means to truly own your life. You alone are responsible for your actions and reactions and you have it within you to achieve your goals and dreams.
However, even though we can look at ourselves as the CEO’s of our own lives, we are not alone in this beautiful journey of life. We are surrounded by people that love and care for us, whether they be lovers, colleagues, family, friends etc.
Therefore, teamwork is still dreamwork, so why don’t you get your dream team involved in helping you fulfill your dreams. Asking for help and support is not always a sign of ‘weakness’, but rather a sign of strength.
So let your friends, family or colleagues assist you in accomplishing your goals. Allow them to hold you accountable too. Meaning, allow them to encourage you along the way and to remind you of your goals and dreams and let them offer assistance and support.
There is strength in numbers and Adding, Allowing and Accepting Accountability assistance can create the A Team in your life.
As a performer, I cannot create an amazing spectacle alone, of course if I sing solo, but I can’t harmonise with myself, and having lighting, sound, a stage manager, a costume designer etc means a more varied experience. It also means that I can just focus on 1 thing – Being the best performer I can be.
What would you be if you had an amazing team to support you?
… Teamwork really does make the dreamwork, If you want me on your team to support your performance or personal development or if you just want to expand on anything in this blog “DM me“ …
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