Melissa James | Singer-Songwriter | Official Website — Archive — BlogBlog Archives - Melissa James | Singer-Songwriter

And Still We Rise

As part of the London Mayor’s month-long celebratory music fest entitled #SoundsLikeLondon, I am staging and performing as part of an event to take place at the Rich Mix, East London on Sunday 17 June. The event – And Still We Rise – aims to celebrate voices of women featuring performances from female artists. Organised in collaboration with the Musician’s Union, a singing workshop will be held during the day to which all women of all singing abilities, are invited to attend. Participants of the workshop can also join me in my stage performance at the Rich Mix later in the evening. Details on the singing workshop are via this link on the Musicians' Union website and tickets to the main concert event at the Rich Mix can be found via the venue’s website.

As part of the London Mayor’s month-long celebratory music fest entitled #SoundsLikeLondon, I am staging and performing as part of an event to take place at the Rich Mix, East London on Sunday 17 June. The event – And Still We Rise – aims to celebrate voices of women featuring performances from female artists. Organised in collaboration with the Musician’s Union, a singing workshop will be held during the day to which all women of all singing abilities, are invited to attend. Participants of the workshop can also join me in my stage performance at the Rich Mix later in the evening. Details on the singing workshop are via this link on the Musicians’ Union website and tickets to the main concert event at the Rich Mix can be found via the venue’s website.

Big Voices, Young Singers at the 606 Club, Chelsea – Sunday 22 April

Pleased to be taking to the stage of this renowned London venue accompanied by some young aspiring voices. On Sunday 22 April I’ll be holding a singing workshop with a small group of young singers in the morning. We’ll work on a song or two that will later be performed, in front of a discerning crowd. This is open to children between the ages of 9 and 14 years of age. Any parents or carers of a child who might wish to join should get in touch directly. Participation in the workshop is free. Family members wishing to attend the show can do so at the reduced ticket price of £5. A Sunday brunch menu is available. Details can be found on the venue’s website. Food is served from 12.30pm with the concert performance starting at 1.45pm until approximately 3.15pm. To book a table to attend the performance please visit the 606 Club’s website at http://606club.co.uk For further information about the workshop, or to register the interest of a child wanting to participate, please contact Melissa directly on heartsongvoices@gmail.com

Pleased to be taking to the stage of this renowned London venue accompanied by some young aspiring voices. On Sunday 22 April I’ll be holding a singing workshop with a small group of young singers in the morning. We’ll work on a song or two that will later be performed, in front of a discerning crowd. This is open to children between the ages of 9 and 14 years of age. Any parents or carers of a child who might wish to join should get in touch directly. Participation in the workshop is free. Family members wishing to attend the show can do so at the reduced ticket price of £5. A Sunday brunch menu is available. Details can be found on the venue’s website. Food is served from 12.30pm with the concert performance starting at 1.45pm until approximately 3.15pm. To book a table to attend the performance please visit the 606 Club’s website at http://606club.co.uk

For further information about the workshop, or to register the interest of a child wanting to participate, please contact Melissa directly on heartsongvoices@gmail.com

We Sang #LiveAgain in Parliament

Indeed we did. Seems a lifetime ago though now. It did only happen on the 30th October. And I have been recovering from the night ever since. The Parliamentary Big Sing was supported by Helen Whately MP (Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health) and Luciana Berger MP (former Shadow Mental Health Minister). The event was also joined by James Morris MP (former Chair, APPG on Mental Health) who participated in a panel discussion alongside CEO of SANE, Marjorie Wallace and Professor Stephen Clift of the Sidney de Haan Centre for Arts and Health. Artist and Featured Artists Coalition member Eugenie Arrowsmith shared her story of working in the music industry while contending with her own mental ill health. And I shared the story of my journey and the SING4SANE project via a speech which can be read here via the SANE website. A fabulous event in a packed room filled with Parliamentarians and non-Parliamentarians alike. And a very good start to the newly emerging Live Again Singing Project which picks-up the work of SING4SANE.

The #LiveAgain Singing Project & The Parliamentary Big Sing

It is a busy time. If anyone had told me early last year that I would be creating a singing project for mental health & wellbeing and organising a Big Sing in Parliament, I would simply have laughed. SING4SANE emerged and since doing so its ball has not stopped rolling. So I am rolling with it. SING4SANE is evolving into the Live Again Singing Project and this Sunday 1 October will see the first workshop take place at Evolution Arts in Brighton. Anyone is welcome to join and you can get details via the Evolution Arts website. And the big news is of course the Parliamentary Big Sing. This will see me talk about #LiveAgain and SING4SANE and invite Parliamentarians to join me in singing. Sadly, it is not a public event but I will be sure to keep you well posted with updates on plans and photographs leading up to and after the event has happened.

The Grenfell House Concert

Sunday 6 August saw the creation of something very special in my back garden. Joined by Mo Pleasure, Rowland Sutherland, Kevin Leo, Joe Cang, Tom Gamble and Ross Lorraine together, from the desire to show some level of support for those victims of the Grenfell disaster, we created joyous music…and love. This love was shared among those who performed and those who listened. And the result from this is that so far £645 has been raised via the JustGiving page. I am beyond words of thanks and appreciation. And to think, it happened in my home back yard. Keep donating if you wish. And thank you for supporting and watching/listening if you did.

Sunday 6 August saw the creation of something very special in my back garden. Joined by Mo Pleasure, Rowland Sutherland, Kevin Leo, Joe Cang, Tom Gamble and Ross Lorraine together, from the desire to show some level of support for those victims of the Grenfell disaster, we created joyous music…and love. This love was shared among those who performed and those who listened. And the result from this is that so far £645 has been raised via the JustGiving page. I am beyond words of thanks and appreciation. And to think, it happened in my home back yard. Keep donating if you wish. And thank you for supporting and watching/listening if you did.

Gigging4Grenfell

Me and my ideas.. This Sunday 6 August I am hosting a special concert in my back living room to which close family and friends are invited. But you can join too since I am aiming to screen the concert online via the live streaming platform, Concert Window. Pay any amount you wish to join the performance which will consist of Mo Pleasure (Earth, Wind & Fire, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson and others), soul singer Kevin Leo, singer/songwriter Joe Cang and guitarist Tom Gamble. And me. Anything you pay, less Concert Window’s fee, will be donated by me to Avondale Extra. This is a foundation setup by Avondale Primary School which lost pupils and staff members to the Grenfell Tower fire. It would be great to have you. However, the concert can only be watched live and if you are able to join us, you can still contribute a donation by visiting the JustGiving page. Looking forward to it.

Me and my ideas.. This Sunday 6 August I am hosting a special concert in my back living room to which close family and friends are invited. But you can join too since I am aiming to screen the concert online via the live streaming platform, Concert Window. Pay any amount you wish to join the performance which will consist of Mo Pleasure (Earth, Wind & Fire, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson and others), soul singer Kevin Leo, singer/songwriter Joe Cang and guitarist Tom Gamble. And me. Anything you pay, less Concert Window’s fee, will be donated by me to Avondale Extra. This is a foundation setup by Avondale Primary School which lost pupils and staff members to the Grenfell Tower fire. It would be great to have you. However, the concert can only be watched live and if you are able to join us, you can still contribute a donation by visiting the JustGiving page. Looking forward to it.

Raising the Roof on Mental Health at Waterloo

The SING4SANE big sing set to take place at 12pm today at London Waterloo Railway Station has only been in the planning for a little over 2 weeks. The support in spreading the word has been phenomenal and I give huge thanks to all big hearts and organisations that have helped with this. We’re meeting inside the station, near to the Currency Exchange which is opposite M&S. If you would like to join, no need to get in touch now, simply pitch-up and come and sing “Live Again” with us. Connecting people with an understanding of mind ill health. And raising awareness of mental health through the amazing power of song. We’ll be there til 2pm this afternoon.

Let’s SING4SANE at Waterloo Station

Yes, it is happening. And I cannot wait for it. I’m taking the SING4SANE big sing to Waterloo mainline station on Saturday 3 June. Absolutely ANYONE is welcome to join. Please just get in touch for details by emailing sing4sane@gmail.com. We’ll be there in the afternoon singing Live Again to our heart’s content. All for mental health awareness. And to connect lots of people through the power of song. Come join us.

News of Stripped Back

I’ve been talking about the release of this new record for a long while it seems. I am pleased to let you know that we are in final stages of the artwork and hoping to send everything to print this month. Supportive and very patient Pledgers will receive their copies first. I’ll then announce availability of the remaining special, limited edition record which will likely only be available as physical copies via sites directly linked to me. There will be no general release of the physical copy. It will also be available as a download via the usual methods. More on all of that to come. For now, if you wish to listen again to the acoustic version of Live Again, taken from this forthcoming record, you can find it here on YouTube.

I’ve been talking about the release of this new record for a long while it seems. I am pleased to let you know that we are in final stages of the artwork and hoping to send everything to print this month. Supportive and very patient Pledgers will receive their copies first. I’ll then announce availability of the remaining special, limited edition record which will likely only be available as physical copies via sites directly linked to me. There will be no general release of the physical copy. It will also be available as a download via the usual methods. More on all of that to come.

For now, if you wish to listen again to the acoustic version of Live Again, taken from this forthcoming record, you can find it here on YouTube.

SING4SANE in the Media

A SING4SANE publicity event was held at Piccadilly’s Virgin Lounge last Thursday 26 January which involved a short interview and Q&A directed by filmmaker Alfred George Bailey (Gregory Porter: Don’t Forget the Music). Joining me in performing “Live Again” were a few of the guest singers who came to RAK Studios to record the charity single last summer too. It was a beautiful evening and lovely to hear the feedback of those who are connecting with the project. A piece on the project and single featured in last Sunday’s Express Newspaper and, ahead of the event, I did a short interview with Riz Lateef on BBC Radio London which you can hear here.