If I Didn't Try, I'd Always Wonder What Could Have Been

She says: “I started piano lessons when I was four and singing lessons when I was eight at my primary school. It had always been my childhood dream to be a professional singer one day. But science was a great passion too and when I joined LEH in 2005, I was luckily enough to be able to pursue both interests. I had a music exhibition from year 7 and then a scholarship in sixth form, plus an academic scholarship in Physics. I’ve always been a bit torn between the two!”

During her time at LEH, Becca made sure to seize every opportunity to be involved with school productions and choirs. She says: “I always thought of the music department as almost a second home. I had some of the most fantastic opportunities at LEH and I can honestly say that the music department played a HUGE role in me being where I am today.”

After leaving LEH Becca went on to study Aeronautical Engineering at Durham University, where she ended up with a First Class Masters degree. As a student, Becca received sponsorship from Jaguar Land Rover for her studies and worked at the company during summer holidays.

So afterwards it seemed only natural to join their graduate programme, working first in their Aerodynamics team, before moving on to become a Software Engineer. Becca enjoyed her dream job at JLR, but she felt most alive when she was singing, and could never quite relinquish that childhood dream.

“I love singing but I do also really enjoy engineering. Particularly in my last couple of years at JLR I was working primarily as a software developer and I found it to be very creative. I love problem solving and coming up with creative solutions, so it really was a good career option for me. And it's so tough to leave the security of a steady job with a good salary to jump off into the unknown and often unstable world of music! 

“But I kept thinking: if you don't try you never know! I umm-ed and err-ed about whether I should audition for conservatoires, whether I was ready, thinking I couldn't possibly compete against people who'd been doing singing full time since leaving school.

But she finally plucked up the courage to audition for music schools and was thrilled to be offered a place at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance as a postgraduate student in Vocal Performance. She started the course in September 2020.

She has found it incredibly fulfilling: “I love music, but for me I really love the combination of music and drama that comes with singing, particularly opera. Some of my favourite parts of preparing music is discussing character, coming up with back stories and motivations and trying out different ways to portray them. Not just for my own character but for the whole production. The productions I've been a part of that I enjoyed most have been the ones where the director was open to conversations and creative input. Working together to bring a production to life is so satisfying.”

Lockdown restrictions have obviously had a profound effect on Becca’s studies. “I'm pursuing a Masters in Performance (Voice) and as I'm sure you can imagine, there's not a lot of performance we can do right now!” she says.  “I'm using the time to brush up on my technique using private practice, get to grips with language and explore new roles and characters in more detail while there isn't a production deadline.

“I am really, really missing working with a pianist though. I have a fantastic coach at college but sadly we are rather limited on what we can do at the moment and performance really is a collaborative process. It's just not the same singing to a backing track. You have no creative freedom to emote while singing along because the backing track won't slow down/speed up/pause/get quieter/get louder or anything with you!

“I have still been able to do bits and pieces though. I've been part of two virtual concerts and two virtual productions already and am working on another at the moment. It's a very different experience but the pandemic has inspired some exciting new ways to perform which I hope will continue in the future.

“In some ways, this time has made me treasure my singing even more. No matter your genre, I'm sure we've all put on music to lift our mood or have a good cry to. It's definitely an important emotional outlet for everyone, performers and audience alike, at this stressful time.”