Demonstrating my proficient skills within creative authority and contextual awareness, this portfolio is representative of my work as a singer/songwriter, producer, performer, and entrepreneur. This collection of work aims to demonstrate my range of skills within creative material such as vocal ability, songwriting, live performance, self-produced tracks, collaborative work with other producers/musicians, and an awareness of strong branding. Together, this portfolio not only reflects my skills within music, but my wider artistic visions that represent me as an independent creative.

I have chosen “Musicianship” and “Context” as my assessment criteria as I feel they best reflect the entirety of my strengths within this submission. Time has been spent deliberating choices in regards to context that feel intentional and authoritative. This is demonstrated through visual identity, making each track feel purposeful and memorable. In terms of musicianship, each project/track has been created by me using vocal delivery, skills within various instruments, and production/arrangements techniques.

This portfolio aims to showcase a clear variety of artistic authority while highlighting my talents as a developing musician/creative. It reflects not only what I am able to produce but how I can conduct the experience surrounding it, composing an overall product that is original in expression and professionally aware.

The session did well with viewers, becoming the most watched and engaged with performance across social medias. It’s success reflects my contextual awareness surrounding my audience’s wants for performance and production choices. Authenticity was crucial for me to maintain within my vocal expression and that appeared to connected strongly with listeners who value genuine music.

I find that my audience engagement often stems from relatability and humour, leading to my choice in introduction and closing sentences. Keeping the session light hearted provided shareable content for my personal social media platforms.

The outcome of the session demonstrates my understanding of wider professional contexts and how live music content can circulate online and promote artistic presence.

“How to Give Up Cigarettes” is a song that explores the themes of romantic addiction. Using the metaphor of quitting smoking, this track focuses on the attachment to and loss of someone special. While reminiscing about something toxic for you, “How to Give Up Cigarettes” discusses feelings of unrequited love and a longing to cling to the past.

The live performance was recorded inside the stairwell of Leeds Conservatoire University. I chose this location for its distinct acoustic characteristics and natural reverb. Capturing the echo’s of the stairwell lent itself well to the songs vulnerable and introspective tone.

To record the performance, I used two Schoeps CMC5U MK2 microphones as a spaced stereo pair to capture the main sound image. This sonically articulated the maximum atmosphere of the stairwell and its natural reverbs.

I found that conducting regular rehearsal sessions with my band was essential in shaping the sound of this project. Working with Ollie Thoburn on guitar, Freya Dobson on vocal harmonies, and Lucas Holliday on percussion allowed for me to get a feel for the sonic identity of the track and how the reverb would lend itself to the songs emotional depth.

These sessions also provide a safe space to experiment with various textures and arrangement ideas. Additionally, it ensures our communication and collective timing is strong.

The collaboration enhances our technical performance skills and helps align my artistic vision.

To make sure the ensemble was fully informed and equipped for the session, I created and distributed project documentation ahead of time. Session briefs made clear to my band members how the day would go forward, allocating times for warm-up procedures, breaks, collection of gear, and technical set-ups. These documents were shared with all participating members prior to recording day and aided in a smooth recording session.

The goal of this was to reduce any wasted time with on-the-day decision making and to comply with the planned schedule. Furthermore, the session brief included time for multiple complete takes to ensure any issues could be corrected and addressed accordingly. 

An attitude driven track, “Watch Your Tone” uses direct lyricism and shifting rhythms to create an atmosphere of tension. The song begins with soft guitars and vocals, shortly followed by a more forceful tone. The lyrical hook “Speak your mind, I’ll be fine” reinforces the concept of emotional boundaries being blurred, begging someone to say how they really feel, even if it’s painful.

The demo shows my experimentation with contrasting textures in instrumentation and vocal delivery. With the change in rhythm in verse 2, the building chorus, and the inclusion of a half time section, I was able to shape the songs character and energy.

This track is a good demonstration of my ability to create a strong dynamic arrangement. It also allowed me to create instrumental choices that felt focused and assertive.

The production played a vital role in shaping the songs attitude. Starting with stripped back layers, the composition eventually builds. Strong rhythmic elements are introduced towards the end, adding tension that matches the confrontational lyricism.

In addition to this, the vocal performance helped in shaping the identity of the song. With a soft opening and bigger second half, the track allowed for me to create contrast in my vocals to keep the listener engaged. This added a dynamic aspect and presented an artistic voice.

Overall, “Watch Your Tone” shows how I can shape a strong personality within a composition using lyricism and a powerful instrumental arrangement.

For this specific track, I chose to collaborate with another producer. This was an important part of developing the tracks sound and direction.

Working with Sophie Plomer expanded my skills in collaboration and made creative decisions more effective. The production value of the final demo was much stronger because of this.

Collaboration also played a huge role in creating a sense of musical direction. I was given the space to experiment with ideas and receive feedback on musical arrangements. This was particularly valuable in relation to context as it put me in my challenge zone by taking the lead on decision making, leading to more intentional creative choices.

We began by working from home, recording the general ideas for the track such as guitar and vocal melodies. We then moved into a studio room and laid out more controlled vocal takes.

This collaboration also demonstrates a professional approach to music writing and making. It allowed me to develop my skills in adaptability and communication.

“All The Gaps” was written around intimate vocals and a steady beat. The song itself feels grounded and emotional, exploring themes of distance and attachment.

The lyrics depict how the main vocalists sense of self is ever evolving after the separation between them and a loved one. Stylistically, I have attempted to find a balance between simplicity and depth. I found using softer vocal tones combined with specific instruments and plugins really let the harmonies shine through, bringing more emotional height into the second verse.

To give an example, there has been a Tape Delay plugin placed on the gentle, singular piano notes, prompting the sense of nostalgia. This also creates a gentle pulse throughout the track, carrying the song forward and letting it build. While this adds to the track and builds momentum, it doesn’t take away from its intimate character.

I recorded this demo within my home studio, while also utilising the university studio rooms to record vocals. The style of production adds to the intimacy and relatability of the track for audiences. Due to this being recorded in a home studio environment, it has also allowed me to transport small gear such as an interface, wires, MIDI Keys and a microphone when travelling outside of Leeds.

Additionally, recording and producing this track myself allowed me to further my knowledge in audience and context. The piece feels relatable through it’s DIY aspects, but is polished enough to fit the mould of a contemporary singer/songwriter.

Through a combination of home studio recording and access to university facilities, I was able to make the most out of each space, depending on what each section of the song required.

This is a personal track, depicting emotional subjects that are enhanced within the production. The goal was to evoke strong feelings and a personal sense of relatability to the listener.

An array of plugins were utilised in the creation of this track to create cohesion. In the later half of the song, I used BBC Symphony Orchestra to expand the emotional depth while still keeping the track in the realms of the intimate singer/songwriter genre.

The addition of an orchestra created a cinematic and expressive feel, supporting melodies and vocal harmonies. The inclusion of this demonstrates an awareness of how the production behind a track is not only decorative, but helps lift sections within songs and adds emotional weight.

As a whole, this displays my skills in combining intimate genres with more expansive production techniques.

Choosing to cover “House Tour” by Sabrina Carpenter, I felt it was important to create my own rendition of an already successful song.

Covering tracks from contemporary pop artists, like Sabrina Carpenter, allows access into existing audiences. Due to Carpenter’s following having a strong attachment to the song and the singers wider world, an original rendition encourages cult followings to take an interest in my work.

From a branding perspective, POP audiences respond well to a strong sense of identity. Providing a distinct approach to “House Tour” make’s me memorable and offers an easy connection to fans.

Uploading this video to instagram, the goal was to assess how a reinterpreted cover of a successful song would land with wider audiences.

The response was incredibly positive and generated multiple comments from listeners expressing support. The data showed that 66.4% of interactions came from non-followers, suggesting reach beyond my existing following.

This is important in relation to context as it represents how my thought process and delivery was successful in engaging new listeners. It further supports musicianship due to the positive reaction suggesting my melodic changes and acoustic composition made the cover feel original and distinctive.

In order to capture a natural and fuller sound, a Zoom handheld recorder was utilised in stereo mode. Two channels aided in emphasising the space within the performance, reflecting the rooms atmosphere.

Post recording session, the audio file was further mixed within Logic using EQ, compression, and slight reverb to shape the sound. EQ aided in cleaning up any unwanted frequencies, while the compressor made sure to keep everything within the audio balanced. The addition of reverb gave a sense of space without drawing too much way from the original recording, preserving the intimacy.

This created clarity and cohesion within the final recording, ensuring the space didn’t sound too flat. The decision added to the acoustic performance and stylistically fit the genre.

Taking this simple approach to recording was highly effective as it produced a professional sounding final result while still feeling home made and personal. The performance still felt authentic while implementing professional knowledge and techniques.

From the perspective of a singer/songwriter, this character makes my image more brand-able as it creates a clear, recognisable visual identity.

The concept gives my branding a personal feel, which is memorable. This also demonstrates how not only are my songwriting abilities strong, but my knowledge in creating an entire artistic experience through visuals is also consistent. Aspects such as these make me feel like a musician with a distinct world to audiences, as opposed to one who only uploads single tracks.

I find that giving my brand a specific visual identity allows for audiences to connect with my music by having something to associate with the sound. Utilising a consistent visual brand in a crowded online space lets me stand out amongst many. Audiences are now valuing intentionality more than ever, which is important in building a sustainable artist identity.

Not only am I creating a strong brand through this character, I am also able to create consistency across different social media platforms.

It is important to note that this demonstrates an understanding of the relationship between visual identity and sonic identity within the music industry.

Considering my image as a consistently developing business instead of only a performer keeps things consistent at a professional standard.

To build a sustainable and memorable name/brand, I drew up and created this logo. The street style, bold lettering and red orbit shape makes for an eye-catching piece. I felt that the red provided a look that feels energetic and distinctive, while maintaining simplicity.

Using my full artist name means that I can create a brand that audiences will recognise and connect with my work.

Maintaining a consistent logo also gives me a sense of professionalism. This can prove incredibly important when presenting myself to labels, promoters, and various other industry professionals.

I feel this design reflects my personality well and helps communicated that before audiences have listened to my music. The colour red represents one that I often wear and can utilise on stage, and the yellow star correlates with my hair colour. This also reflects the cartoon I have created.

By using this logo across promotional social media content, I create a more cohesive image for myself.

The original design for my logo had a slightly stronger retro influence. This design relied too heavily on bold, more random colours that feel less refined or thought through.

The logo that I chose displays a far cleaner and balanced brand. The original design did not reflect my artist identity to the same degree.

Time and research has been put into what kind of fashion would cohesively work with my brand.

The goal is to create a visual identity that feels simple but is recognisable as my image. I noted that a common occurrence in constructing a strong brand is to adopt existing visual references, such as images and clothing styles, and make them iconic through repetition.

My aim is to apply this theory within my artist image as a singer/songwriter through choosing a style that is accessible but is able to be strongly associated with me. Through repetition and consistency within live performances and social media platforms, I can utilise this image to become more promotional and brand-able.

I have chosen this style as it feels natural and authentic to me. It is also a fashion that cult followings can recreate and further promote as my image. By making use of a familiar clothing aesthetic, I can create a visual language that aids audiences in recognising me easily. A strong brand and artistic image can make for a more cohesive world surrounding the songs.

Contextually, I found this was incredibly important as I am then able to present myself as a complete artist as opposed to just being a performer. This allows me to position myself within an industry that values sound, image, and presentation being linked.

Overall, my consideration into these aspects demonstrate awareness into the importance of intentional and consistent aesthetic. Creating an event through visual presentation, although simple, this image has the potential to be distinctive and connectable to my music.

The colour palette that I have put together gives my brand a clear, coherent visual system that can be replicated across all platforms.Choosing primary colours creates an image that feels playful and eye-catching. It always allows for my brand to adapt to different a variety of designs.

Combining strong reds, blues and yellows provides a sense of energy to my image. It also assists in standing out within a saturated digital space, where vibrant colours are becoming less common. The font choice is bold to further push this narrative of a confident image, making for an overall cohesive presentation.

My decisions on colour palettes and fonts represent deliberate decision making that contribute to a recognisable brand. These choices also make my artistic world feel creatively informed rather than accidental.