So, You're Getting Married!

Congratulations on getting engaged and now the planning begins for your big day. So, before you put selecting your wedding music at the bottom of your list, let me share a few insights from an event planning perspective.

There are three things that people will go away from a wedding talking about ... 1) The bride's dress; 2) the food and 3) the music. Yes, you read right ... the music. But what is it, after the dress and food, that brides typically fret about? Flowers, the cake, the venue and then the music becomes an afterthought, a footnote in the planning process.

For the wedding ceremony, choose music that really means something to you as a couple, whether you hire a singer or an instrumentalist. For the bride, that all important song that you walk down the aisle too will be the foundation of that amazing moment when the groom first sees his bride. The music leading up to the brides entrance whether it's secular or religious is equally important because a tone is being set for your entire day. And don't forget to have music planned for signing the registry. This can sometimes take up to 20 minutes so you'll need about five songs ready for this (with a couple in reserve). I have sung at many wedding ceremonies and I have always had to pull on those reserve songs during the registry signing. These songs should also have personal meaning to the couple.

For the wedding breakfast there are a few routes you can go: 1) Playlist on a device; 2) solo performer (singer or instrumentalist); 3) Acoustic Duo or 4) Small band (3-5 pieces, with or without a singer). Having some sort of entertainment to occupy your guests during this time is crucial to keep the mood of your day festive. While the bridal party is occupied with taking photos, your guests are sort of hanging around. I suggest using the same Act for your drinks reception that you used for the ceremony (solo, duo or instrumental act). Another viable option is to have your reception band do the wedding breakfast. If you have a large band scheduled for the evening do, more than 5 pieces, then ask the band if they can perform as a trio or quartet for the breakfast. And, the couple will want to put their stamp on the music here too.

Last year my band, Move On Up, did a Disney themed wedding and the bride and groom handpicked the Disney songs they wanted included in the ceremony, breakfast and reception. Whenever we got to one of those songs, especially during the breakfast, I would catch a little reaction of delight from the bride or groom at hearing something that really meant something to them.

Then there's the big event ... the evening reception. This is where you pull out all the stops when it comes to entertainment, whether you decided to just have a DJ or to have both DJ and band. It's important to get this bit absolutely spot on as far as what type of band you hire. Let's say the groom is a fan of heavy metal? (I just booked a wedding where this was the case.) That's great, and I appreciate all sorts of music, but hiring a heavy metal band for the wedding reception would not be the best idea. This is where the bride and groom have to consider who will be attending the evening do and what type of music would have the most appeal across the age groups who will make up your reception. Working with an entertainment agency or experience wedding band will help you get this right. You want to hire a band with a diverse repertoire of music covering many genres and eras.

I once attended a wedding reception where a Rock n Roll band had been hired for the occasion and the dance floor was pretty much empty throughout the night because the bands song selections didn't have a broad appeal. As soon as a playlist was put on with songs that everybody knew and loved playing, the dance floor was full.

For the wedding that I just booked for the heavy metal lover, we are going to perform a mix of songs covering Motown, Soul, Pop, Blues, Disco and Classic Rock n Roll, for the groom. Basically, we are going to do floor fillers to ensure that each guests has the chance to shake their groove thing, if they so desire. We will send our set lists to the bride and groom for their approval a few weeks before their wedding to ensure they are happy with our choices.

If you're using just a DJ for the reception, make sure he or she is prepared to interact with the guests and not just playing track after track. What's exciting about having a live band is that interaction that naturally happens with a good band … they just know what to do to make sure your guests are engaged. Your DJ needs to have this same type of insight and be prepared to switch gears in their planned playlist if necessary to make sure the dance floor is full.

When you're in the early stages of planning your wedding and setting the budget for this all important day, make sure you set a decent amount aside for your music. Many agencies and bands offer package deals to cover the ceremony through to the evening reception, which could save you some money. A DJ can also be included in a package deal. I suggest working with an agency for your wedding because they can do all the leg work to vet the entertainers and make sure you get exactly what you want. Many agencies also offer other services such as photo booths, LED flooring, table magic (another great option to have during the drinks reception) and toastmasters.

Please contact GME to book a free 30-minute phone consultation to discuss your wedding entertainment and to learn about the packages we offer. We would love to be a part of your special day. Just tell us what you want and let us handle the details!

GME Celebrates 4 Years in Business!

GME Celebrates 4 Years in Business! This month GME is four years old and when I look back on when I first started this company in 2012, I am amazed at how far I've come in just a few years. I'm pretty sure this is not the norm, but my first year in business was quite easy because I landed a big corporate client just as I was getting started, and earned enough from that client to not have to stress about money in the first year. This gave me the breathing room to learn my business, grow my Artist roster and start small with gaining new customers outside of the corporate client. Thankfully, I worked a second year with that same big client, which is probably the only thing that kept me from quitting the business that year because I was earning new business and with that new business starting to feel some growing pains! Plus, I was having to learn from the many 'rookie' mistakes I was making as a Agent in the music business. I was wearing two hats now ... Entertainer and Agent, and sometimes the line between the two were blurred by my desire to be out there working myself, and making sure I was also looking after my Acts. When I entered my third year in business, the big corporate client was gone, but a strong foundation had been built in the two years of having the security of that client, and the real work was ahead of me. I was so worried that I would make less money without the big client, but I ended up making more because for the first time I was actually running my business ... not just coasting along. With increased earnings came increased confidence, and I also learned the beauty of planning, so I entered my 4th year armed with a marketing strategy, measurable goals, and a determination to be fearless when it came to building, promoting and growing my business. August and September have been my planning months as I enter year five, and I used this time to streamline some of my processes, bring on a Virtual Admin Assistant, set goals and put a plan in place so that this year takes GME to the next level as a provider of top Entertainment on the South Coast and across the UK. So I make a promise to you my clients and supporters to always provide Star-Quality Entertainment and detailed customer service, and to be a 'one-stop' shop for all your Entertainment needs.

Week In Review: 9-15 February 2015

This week was quite busy with a variety of inquiries ranging from charity events to tribute shows, many of which have turned into bookings! Check out our Facebook page to see a listing of upcoming public shows.

Monday the 9th was just another day in the office tackling my never-ending to-do list. On Tuesday, I attended the Business & Enterprise meeting at The Purple Door in Portsmouth. B&E is a work stream of Shaping Portsmouth, and we outlined our overall mission for 2015 as well as set up subgroups to manage the various programs we are undertaking this year. I volunteered to work on the Business Support Bank project which is a structured program where business mentors volunteer their time and start up companies and existing businesses are able to connect with a mentor.

On Wednesday, I was off to rehearsal with Mayfield as we prepare for some upcoming shows, including our first show of the year at March of the Mods in Reading on the 15th of March! This promises to be a great show with some amazing bands in the lineup. Tickets are still available, so click here for more information!

On Friday, I headed up to Leeds for a gig with The Midnight Soul Sisters. Diana Ross made an appearance along with Beyonce & Tina Turner. This event was for our band leader's mum, Veronica, who was celebrating her 60th birthday. There were tears, singing, dancing and lots of delicious food throughout evening. I stayed overnight after the party in a very posh 4-star hotel. I had to pry myself out of the bed on Saturday morning before heading back to Portsmouth to get ready for my Simply, Tina Turner show on Valentine's Night! We had an absolute blast at Cosham Conservative Social Club. We started the show shaking our tail feathers to Tina Turner, and ended my part of the entertainment with my Disco Diva's set!

This was my second time performing at this venue, and they definitely know how to have a good time. My favorite part this time was when I finished my last encore and the DJ played Thank You for the Music. The guests all surrounded me and started singing this song to me ... I thought, what a lovely Valentine to have all that love and appreciation directed at me.

Speaking of Valentine, my lovely husband surprised me with a dozen red roses. He had two days of travel starting on Friday to get home from Argentina so I was not expecting anything. As I was getting out of the taxi on my way home from Leeds I noticed a box on the front step. My first thought was that my husband had bought yet another magic trick (he's a comedy magician), but much to my delight the box was for me!

Sunday was truly a day of rest and recovery from a very busy weekend. I caught up on my favorite TV shows and had a bit of Chinese takeaway for dinner. All in all, I had a fantastic week indeed!

Please take a moment to like my Supremely, Diana Ross facebook page. And remember to contact Gloria Miller Entertainment if you are looking for star-quality entertainment for your wedding, venue, festival or next event!

That's it for this edition. Have a great week!

Gloria.

Week in Review - 6 February 2015

On Monday I had a normal day in the office. Slightly boring, but necessary. On Tuesday I had a meeting with a potential new client about organizing their entertainment starting in March. Watch this space for more info on the venue and the and the fabulous entertainment I am arranging for them.

On Wednesday, more boring office work including discussions with my website designer to put the finishing touches on the new GME website. We hope to launch the new site in early March. I ended my day rehearsing with Mayfield Band to work on the next song for the album. Amy Dall, the other lead vocalist in the band was in the studio with the guys on Saturday to start recording the next track. Our current release, Tempo of Your Soul, is available for purchase on-line. Click here to have a listen!

Thursday, in the office again finalizing some bookings, and then it was off to my weekly Social Media class. The highlight of Thursday was the launch of Southsea's Got Talent for 2015 and the first Heat set the bar way high for this year's competition. Here are the winners of the first heat:

Mayfield Studios is one of the sponsors of this competition which runs through the end of September with Monthly heats running through August, semi-finals in September and the final in October. For more information about this competition and how you can enter, contact Ross @ The Jolly Sailor, 023 9229 5195.

Just a reminder that Mayfield Studios is running a competition for a chance to win a fully produced and mastered 4-song EP. Click here for details on how to enter.

On Friday, I had a meeting with the representative from the Events Committee for Waterlooville High Street who approached GME to help with their launch event being held in May, with the entertainment continuing on a Monthly basis after the launch. We are looking for solo & duo performers, as well as small bands, so please get in touch if you are interested in performing.

Finally, on Saturday and Sunday I was in Manchester with The Midnight Soul Sisters (MSS) shooting our promotional video. We shot promos for the MSS show, plus The Supremes, Three Degrees, and the 60's Show. The studio we were filming in looked like a mini-department store had exploded in the room with wigs, dresses, shoes, and bling covering every available space. Saturday was strictly planning for the shoot, and Sunday we filmed from 12pm until, well I don't really know when they actually finished up. I had to leave at 6:30pm to catch my train. It is quite the journey for me to get from Manchester to the Portsmouth area, and by the time I was on my fourth train I could not fight the tiredness any longer. I had to set the alarm on my mobile to make sure I didn't sleep past my stop!

Don't forget that GME is the provider of star-quality entertainment and we are here to help you celebrate those special moments in life, or to add a bit of sparkle to your venue or event. Visit our website or call me at 02392 894902 to get an entertainment quote for your venue, event, or next celebration!

That's it for this edition. Have a great week!

Week in Review - 24 January 2015

Me @ National Venus Awards

The highlight of the week was being able to sponsor the entertainment and perform at the National Venus Awards on Friday! What an inspirational event and it was a real honour to be in the room with so many amazing women in business.

This was my third Venus Awards event, having performed at the Portsmouth Awards ceremony where I was also a finalist in the New Business Category and GME solo performer, Marlene Hill performed at the Oxford ceremony. It was great working directly with the founder of this great organization, Tara Howard, on song selection for the National event kicking off the festivities with 'Simply The Best.' Tara also outlined her vision to take the Venus Awards Global promoting women in business around the world! Her talk made me want to dream bigger for GME.

It was also a real pleasure connecting with Jenni Steele, the National Ambassador for Domestic Violence UK. Jenni presented an award as well as delivered an excellent talk about her experience with domestic violence as a young person and encouraged us all to be the 'lioness' within our respective 'prides!' I had a chat with Jenni a couple days before the event and we arranged for me to sing 'I'm Every Woman' before her talk!

Jenni Steele

The other two keynote speakers of the event were Dr. Lynda Shaw, a registered chartered psychologist who talked about the differences between the male and female brain; and Julia Hands, Chairman & Chief Executive of Hand Picked Hotels, who's lovely Audleys Wood was where the event was held. She spoke about being brave enough to change careers from being a Solicitor to Hotelier and about saying yes to an opportunity when it presents itself, even if you don't feel like you can do it, which is exactly what she did in 2001 when she took over management of Hand Picked Hotels. They now have 21 country house hotels across the UK and Channel Islands.

Niqi Brown

The rest of the week was quite routine with meetings and of course looking for performance opportunities for my Acts. On Thursday, I started a 12-week in-depth Social Media Course taught by David Vane of Workzmarter! The course is run by Opportunities Workshop!

Also, I signed a fabulous new Tribute Act to the website ... Niqi Brown as Tina Turner. Please consider this dynamic act for your next event. To book Niqi or any of the other star-quality GME acts, please call me today at 02392 894902 or you can follow this link to request-a-quote.

Lastly, I'd like to officially introduce you to the brand new Midnight Soul Sisters (MSS), a group of incredibly talented soul singers who pay tribute to all your favourite soul & R&B divas!

Within this group are several Tribute Acts, including Tina Turner, Diana Ross, & Beyonce as well as a Three Degrees & Supremes Show. 

Midnight Soul Sisters

I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing group of ladies (that's me on the left looking quite young if I say so myself) and there is huge demand for the various shows we offer. Interested in booking MSS for your next event? Call me today! 02392 894902 for more information!

That's it for this edition! Have a fabulous week.

Week in Review - 16 January 2014

Spain

As I write this week's edition I am sitting on the Veranda of my lovely hotel room in Spain enjoying the afterglow of my first gig of the year at Le Cabaret just outside of Moraira. Through the wonder that is Google I was contacted by this venue that did a search for a Diana Ross Tribute and here I am having a mini-break because honestly, this hasn't at all felt like work! I flew to Alicante very early Saturday morning (I was up with the chickens) and on Saturday night entertained a room full of British ex-pats at this fabulous revamped venue run by Mike Lee and Valerie Sheehy! I have been given the 'star' treatment, which I could easily get used to! Every detail of this booking has been seen too with the utmost care and I am enjoying the glorious sunshine before I had back to England tonight.

I performed my Diana Ross Tribute Show along with my Disco Divas show and every available floor space in the venue was turned into a dance floor. The highlight for me was when I was singing Amy Winehouse's 'Valerie' and a gaggle of ladies started screaming and headed to the dance floor. They were so raccous that I finally had to ask what they had them so worked up, and it turned out that one of he ladies was called 'Valerie' and she was dancing up a storm! So I grabbed her and we had a little boogie together! After the show Valerie pulled me to the side and told me that she was a cancer survivor and that was the first time in 18 months that she felt strong enough to get up and dance. Then she hugged me and thanked me profusely for giving her the opportunity to dance because she used to be a dancer. It is these types of moments that make what I do a sheer joy! 

What a way to start the year and if the rest of my shows go half as good as this one, I am in for a fantastic year of performing! We've already discussed having me back again, as well as some of GME's acts! I'll keep you posted as these shows develop!

In other news, on Monday I attended the first Cultural Partnership meeting of the year which is a work stream within Shaping Portsmouth, and is made up of business leaders and individuals involved in the arts in the Portsmouth area who play a vital role in cultivating a strong cultural image for the city. Since Portsmouth is my adopted city, and is s rich soil in which to grow GME, I want to do my part in giving back to my local community and the Cultural Partnership work stream affords me many opportunities to get involved, not just in areas of music but in the arts as a whole.

On Thursday, Dominic Elton of Mayfield Studios and I met with the organizers of Victorious Vintage to discuss ways that the studio can get involved with this year's festival! Victorious is a massive event for Portsmouth and Mayfield Studios and GME are looking forward to supporting this event. Watch this space for more details.

The rest of the week was spent organizing the entertainment for weddings and private events as well as putting the final touches on the brand new GME website that will be launching in the next few weeks!

What are you celebrating this year? Getting married, a milestone birthday, an anniversary? Or maybe you don't need a reason to celebrate, you just want to? Call me to discuss adding a bit of sparkle to your next event with one of our quality Acts. We provide solo performers up to 8-piece bands covering all genres of music from the 30's through today including star quality Tribute Acts. My new office number is 02392 894902, or you can email me at gloria@gloriamillermusic.com.

That's it for now. Have a great week!

Week In Review - 5 December 2014

Most of this week has been spent planning for 2015 and there are some really exciting things developing for next year. More on that latter ...

On Monday, I joined Martin Bargent of Brown Sugar Events on ExpressFM to discuss The All Woman Christmas Shopping & Indulgence Show being held on Sunday at The Norton Park Hotel in Winchester. We had a lovely chat with Phil Russell on the morning show discussing the event and the charity it benefits, The Katie Piper Foundation. I will be one of several exhibitors, and will also be perform a few holiday favourites and more during the course of the day. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here!

Phil, Glo & Martin!

On Tuesday, I met with Helen at Creative Click to discuss my new website. I got a little peak at it and its looking very cool! I built my current website, and the new one will have a similar feel, but will be much more high tech because the professionals know how to do sooooooo much more than I do! It was very difficult letting go of the website, but after two years in business I thought this would be a good time to launch a new site. Watch this space!

One of the exciting developments for 2015 is that I will be presenting a weekly radio show on ExpressFM starting in January. I currently do a monthly internet show called Glo's Music for the Soul, which I will now turn into a weekly format focusing on an eclectic mix of music that soothes the soul! On Thursday I met with Rob at the station to discuss the show and next week I'm going in to learn the equipment and do some test recording. I have to admit, I am quite nervous about this weekly show ... but I'm equally as excited! This is like a dream come true! Doing a monthly show is challenging, and I know the weekly one will be even more so, but I am up for it and will give it my all!

I'm working on the December edition of the internet show next week and have a great show planned with soulful Holiday classics, and a bit of Funk, R&B and Jazz too!  Click here to listen to November's show!

Today I am gearing up for a three-gig weekend, with the first one tonight at The Phoenix in Crookhorn where I will be performing Simply, Tina Turner! On Saturday I am in Reading at Wokefield Park performing with The Midnight Soul Sisters. Then on Sunday, I will head to Winchester for the All Woman Show. I am looking forward to a busy weekend of performing.
Finally, I've got a couple of my top acts booked out this weekend. Tonight, Damiain Lodrick will be performing solo at The Piranha Bar and on Saturday, GME's artist of the month, Everyday Sunshine, will be performing at the same venue!  If you're looking for something to do this weekend, why not come to one of these shows! I guarantee you'll have a great time!

Damiain Lodrick

Remember, Gloria Miller Entertainment is a full-service entertainment agency and we provide premium entertainment at affordable prices for Weddings, Events, Venues, Festivals and Cruise Ships offering Solo Performers up to 8-piece Bands, Tribute and Variety Acts. Contact us at 02392 280829 today to discuss your entertainment needs for 2015.

That's it for now! Have a wonderful weekend.

Week In Review - 14 November 2014

My week started with a bang with a Supremely, Diana Ross Tribute Show at the Woodmancote in West Sussex. The venue had a very unique layout requiring me to roam around to three different rooms. Thankfully, I was able to plug my sound system into theirs which played my backing music in each room. What was so interesting was that each room seemed to have its own personality. Admittedly, it was exhausting roaming from room to room but also invigorating because of the unique energy in each room. By the middle of the second set I got trapped in one room because people started filtering in from the other rooms. Then it turned into a right party with everybody singing and dancing along to their favourite Diana Ross tunes and more. I ran out of Diana Ross tunes for encores, so I then performed Tina Turner, Gloria Jones and Pharrell all while dressed as Diana Ross ... that was fun!

On Tuesday, I attending a meeting with the Business & Enterprise workstream of Shaping Portsmouth where we discussed some fantastic upcoming events including the Shaping Portsmouth Conference being held on 17 November being held at The Pyramids in Southsea. This event kicks off Globel Entrepreneur's Week where Entrepreneurs Unite will be offering a host of workshops and discussions.

Also on Tuesday I had a songwriting session with Dominic Elton band leader of Mayfield working on music for our forthcoming second release ... Keep On! We walked away from the session with two new songs, one with a Gospel feel reminicent of Edwin Hawkings, Oh Happy Day and the other a soulful dance tune complete with a bit of choreography! Can't wait see how these two develop.

Wednesday was back-to-back appointments starting with a meeting at the Central Library with Elizabeth Caush, Business Support Officer with Portsmouth City Council to learn about the support being offered by the council to small businesses. Elizabeth is a great resource and sign posted me to funding sources, gave me access to some marketing tools, as well as set up a free 40-minute consultation with a Intellectual Property attorney to discuss copyrights and publishing.

Then I was off to meet Sue & Helen at Creative Click marketing company to discuss them handling my social media.  After a very exciting discussion with them, I am happy to announce that they will be building a new website for GME, branding my Facebook & Twitter pages and running the social media through these sites and sending email campaigns. Watch this space for the unveiling of the new website.

Lastly, I attended a workshop at the Innovation Space in Portsmouth sponsored by Entrepreneur's Unite on Branding. Lizz Clark of LCM and her associated gave the attendees valuable information on branding our businesses and this couldn't have come at a better time seeing how I'm in the process of reinforcing the GME brand with Creative Click.

Midnight Soul Sisters (Selfie)

Today I'm prepping for gigs performing my Diana Ross Tribute Show with Move On Up at the Jolly Sailor tonight from 9pm. Then Saturday it's up to Newcastle with the Midnight Soul Sisters performing our Motown Divas show.

Marlene Hill

And finally, this month's Artist of the Month, Marlene Hill will be entertaining at the Oxford Venus Awards. Marlene was the perfect choice to support this great organization that honours women in business!

Well, that's it for this week. Have a fabulous weekend.

Week In Review - 7 November 2014

Me and my brother Arthur!

I'm baaaaack! Did you miss me? It is always difficult getting back into the swing of things when you've had a break, but I was really ready to get back to work. To be honest, I worked a little everyday during the second week I was away. Just one of the many joys of running your own business and having no staff. I had a fantastic time cruising with the hubs on Royal Caribbean's Oasis and then spending some time with my family & friends in Chicago and Milwaukee. I even did some singing with the lovely and talented Jeannine Rivers at her Halloween/Birthday Celebration Gig in Milwaukee!

Bethany & Yasmin

Speaking of staff, the Cathedral Innovation Centre (CIC) where I'm based has offered me admin assistance from their two interns, Bethany Young and Yasmin Trueman, and I already feel the relief of having less on my plate so I can focus more on securing bookings for my acts and event planning opportunities for GME. I met with them on Wednesday and turned over several weekly duties that seemed to eat up all my time, but are necessary to keep things ticking along. CIC has been an incredible resource for me and their support is much appreciated.

David Williams

Also on Wednesday I attend the Brown Bag Lunch launch event hosted by CIC at the Portsmouth Library where David Williams, CEO of Portsmouth City Council  discussed why social enterprise and entrepreneurship is important to Portsmouth as a city. It was good to learn that there is support for small businesses from the Council and see their desire to help these companies grow and thrive in Portsmouth.

I think having had some much needed rest has opened up my creative channels, because I finished the lyrics to a song and wrote a song for my original band, Mayfield. We are in the process of opening a recording studio and launching a record company where we will record and release our second album, Keep On! Last year we released our debut release, Tempo of Your Soul, and on this next project we are definitely raising the bar with some great soul & funk tunes. Click here to see the video for our new song, Ready Set Go!

On Thursday, I had a meeting at The Woodmancote in Emsworth where I will be performing Supremely, Diana Ross on Monday. I have a full weekend of gigs starting tonight in Portsmouth at The Wellington for their 9th Anniversary Party. Then on Saturday I'm off to perform with The Midnight Soul Sisters at Akamba Garden Center in Birmingham. And, on Sunday I'm covering the lead vocals with Beau performing a fantastic set of Soul, Funk & Rock covers at The Lord Raglan also in Emsworth. I might have to give myself Tuesday off to recover from four gigs in a row.

Fedora Cafe

One of my top acts, Fedora Cafe will be performing at a private party on Saturday in Gosport. If you are looking for something unique for you next event, this is the act for you.

The sultry, sexy and slightly mysterious sounds of Fedora Café will transport you around the world and through the decades with their Cafe-Jazz meets Film-Noir brand of music! My client instantly wanted them for his event and Fedora Cafe were kind enough to learn a special song 'Nobody Loves A Fairy When She's 40th!' You might have guest that this event is a 40th birthday party!

Please take a moment to like my GME Facebook Page. Starting the beginning of the year, I will be posting gig, event and music updates to this page instead of my personal FB page.  Click here to like!

Marlene Hill

Remember to get in touch with GME for your entertainment needs. Get a jump on 2015 by contacting me about Fedora Cafe, my Artist of the Month, Marlene Hill, or any other of my fantastic acts. Call me at 07504 611173 or email me at gloria@gloriamillermusic.com.

Well, that's it for now. Time to prep for my full weekend of gigs ... LOL! Have a fabulous weekend.

Gloria Miller Entertainment

Weeks in Review - 3 October & 10 October 2014

New Business Finalists

I've got so much to tell you so let's dive in ... As you may know, this year I was nominated for a Venus Award in the categories of Customer Service and New Business and went on to be named a finalist in the latter category. The awards debuted this year in the Portsmouth area, and founder Tara Howard and her staff put on quite the awards ceremony at the Portsmouth Marriott on the 1st of October. The hotel was buzzing with excited hopefuls including myself as we walked the red carpet, posed for photos, and I had the privilege of performing during the ceremony! 'Simply The Best' went over a storm with this room full of powerful business women (and a few men) and added to the sizzling tone set by the showgirls of Manic Stage Productions who opened the show.

I didn't win in my category, however, I have benefited in a huge way simply by association with such a prestigious award, including being contacted by The News in Portsmouth regarding their various awards. On the 9th of October I met with Rosie Morgan from The News and we discussed a few awards that are coming up and explored areas that GME can partner with them for sponsorship and entertainment. Watch this space for updates on which events I'll be involved with.

Manic Stage Productions Showgirls

I also want to send a shout out to Francis Davis at The Cathedral Innovation Centre (CIC) for supporting me and the other Venus Awards nominees who run their businesses from CIC. They purchased a table for the ceremony and I heard them before I actually saw them as they cheered me on when I took the stage to perform. I so appreciate their support and thank them for providing me and so many other small businesses with affordable office space.

On Saturday the 4th I performed Simply, Tina Turner at the Carisbrooke Arms in Gosport for the second time ever! I was a bundle of nerves as I waited backstage for my intro, but as soon as I heard the music and felt the support of the audience, it was like I was possessed by Tina! It was amazing from my perspective because it completely felt like an out-of-body experience. I've been performing Diana Ross for over a year and absolutely love it, but what I experienced performing Tina was magical. Usually, it's the second set of a gig that get's everybody up and dancing, but right out of the gate with Tina the atmosphere was charged with energy, the dance floor was packed and the crowd was singing along to every song, many of them knowing the lyrics better than me ... LOL! The first time I performed the show back in July, I was like a deer in the headlights and barely remember it. The second time even though I was scared, I was more prepared and felt more confident that I could get the job done. I guess the fact that I'm already re-booked to do Tina again at the Carisbrooke next year is a good sign! Watch this space for upcoming show dates.

Nick Boles, Me, Flick Drummond

On Monday the 6th of October I was invited to attend a reception at the Cathedral Innovation Centre with Nick Boles MP, the Minister of State jointly for Department for Business Innovation and Skill and the Department of Education who was showing his support for the work that CIC is doing with apprenticeships as well as with small businesses. Click here to read the article The News Portsmouth ran the day after the event.

I will be resuming my radio show, Glo's Music for the Soul, in October and on Friday the 10th I had a lovely chat with the managers of One World Radio about future radio shows as well as performance opportunities in Cypress. I'm recording the show this week to be aired on Halloween so I'm looking for music to fit the theme. Any suggestions?

On Saturday I performed to a fabulous crowd at The Jolly Sailor with my covers band, Move On Up and ventured into London on Sunday for a private solo gig to help celebrity bodyguard Michael Hosking celebrate his 50th birthday! It was a small gathering of about 25 people, but we had a fabulous time singing, dancing and celebrating at The Grange, which is a lovely venue in Ealing.

I'm off on Holiday for a few weeks so my updates will be on hiatus until I return on the 3rd of November. 

I'll be back in touch early November ... until then have a lovely rest of October!

Week in Review - 26 September 2014

Craig Charles

I usually start my weekly review with the beginning of the week, but in this edition I'm going to start with the weekend.

On Friday my originals band Mayfield did a show with the much celebrated Craig Charles at The Cellar in Southampton, and what an amazing night we had performing in a sold-out venue to a room full of Soul & Funk enthusiasts and sharing the stage with the most amazing DJ I have experienced since living in the UK! Mayfield performed a 1-hour set of our most Soulful, Funky tunes and the audience was with us from start to finish. At one point, I scanned the entire crowd that stretched right to the back of the venue, and each person was bouncing, dancing and grooving to our tunes. That was the most fabulous feeling! Many of our Portsmouth fans joined us in Southampton and we made many new fans who bought CDs and Vinyls after we finished. The hi-light of the evening for me was when Mr. Charles held up our album and the crowd erupted into thunderous applause. That was well cool!

Now, my plan was to stay for about 20 minutes of Craig's set because this is a 3-gig weekend for me and the mounting years means I need my rest ... LOL! Well, before I knew it I was drenched in sweat, dancing like a teenager at a rave, and more than an hour had past. I finally made the very tough decision to get my old bag of bones home and to bed. What a night!

Move On Up

As I write this, it's Saturday night and I just finished a sound check with my covers band, Move On Up, and will be heading back to Southwick Park Golf Club for a private event. Since we finished the sound check at 7:30pm and I live just 15 minutes from the venue, I decided to come home and do a bit of work :). On Sunday, it's up to London with Move On Up to perform songs from my CD, Let Go, at Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho! I am deliciously tired, but looking forward to rockin' it tonight and tomorrow.

The earlier part of the week was all about photo shoots. On Tuesday, I drove to Somerset for a 12-hour power shoot with my latest venture, The Midnight Soul Sisters. Within MSS are several tribute acts, including Diana Ross (me), Tina Turner, The Supremes, The Ronettes, Beyonce, Whitney Houston and The Three Degrees. During the shoot there were many wig and costume changes, and much laughter and fun as we transformed ourselves into these great performers. My favourite wig of the day was the giant Afro I got to sport during The Three Degrees shoot. There is something very powerful about the Afro ... as soon as I got that thing on my hands went to my hips, my head tilted to the side, and I was dripping attitude ... LOL! Yeah, I was feeling that Afro! I'll post some of the pics once they're done.

Me as Tina Turner

On Thursday, I had two photo shoots, one for my new Tina Turner Tribute show in the morning, and then later for the four ladies of the Cathedral Innovation Center who have been nominated for a Venus Award. We're going to be featured in The News Porstmouth this week as we lead up to the Venus Awards Ceremony on the 1st of October. Hopefully, in next week's edition I'll be announcing that I am a Venus Award winner ... fingers crossed!

The rest of my week was basically prepping for photo shoots and gigs, while trying to fit in the daily running of GME. I had a little breather the beginning of September to recover from a very busy summer, but now it seems that I'm back to the grind through the end of the year. To be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way!

That's it for now ... I've got to get back to my gig.

Week In Review - 12 September 2014

As I'm just completing my second year of running GME, I am starting to see a pattern developing for my busy season, definitely the summer, and my breathing season, September & January. This works great with my companies' year because I like to use the first month of my business year, September, for planning. That's exactly what this week has been about ... Setting my annual, quarterly and monthly goals, and laying out a plan for how to reach those goals. 

Red Embers, GME Act

I want this year to be more focused on the acts I represent and the clients who book them. This area was a little bit neglected last year as I focused on several large events. This year I aim to strike a much better balance between these two vital areas of my business.

On Wednesday, I attended a Marketing Strategy Workshop at the Innovation Space in Portsmouth. The workshop was led by Lizz Clarke of LCM, who I work with in the Business & Enterprise work stream of Shaping Portsmouth. As I go into my third year, I realize that if I want to grow my performer and client base, I need to develop a solid marketing strategy. The tips Lizz shared has given me the tools to begin this process. All of us who attended this workshop seemed to be unclear of what 'marketing' actually is. Before this workshop, I wasn't clear on the differences, if any, between marketing, advertising & PR. Here's my take on Lizz's definition of marketing:

Lizz Clarke, LCM

'Marketing involves tactics that drive revenue. Those tactics include: advertising, PR, sales, social media, promotions, networking, etc.' 

As I build GME's marketing strategy for 2015 I have to look at all these areas with the aim of driving revenue. That's a lot to think about, but vitally important to the growth of the business. I encourage you to develop your own marketing strategy, and find ways to make yourself more marketable, no matter what you do in life. For businesses, contacting Lizz Clarke is a great way to start this process.

Also on Wednesday, my originals band Mayfield had an amazing rehearsal in our very own recording studio! The studio is still being built, but our last few rehearsals have been in this awesome space, and the recording room is sounding great! We should be fully up and running by early 2015. 

On Saturday we are  recording a demo at River Studios in Southampton to have a trial run on one of the mixing boards that we are considering for Mayfield Studios. We will be releasing our second album in late 2015 and have already written several new songs for the project. The demo will be of our newest song, Ready, Set, Go! which we will be recording over the next couple weeks. Watch this space for your sneak listen to this track. We may even offer it as a free download! Stay tuned to find out.

In addition to preparing to go into the studio to record the demo, we are also getting ready for a couple big shows happening this month:

20 Sep - The Jolly Sailor, Southsea - Rowan's Charity Event w/SoulTime DJ Martin Jackson (free entry)

26 Sep - The Cellars, Southampton - Supporting Soul & Funk DJ Craig Charles of BBC Radio 6 (sold out)

If you can't wait for the sneak listen to 'Ready, Set, Go!' then come see Mayfield at The Jolly Sailor where we'll be debuting this new song! Can't wait to hear what you think of this new tune!

I've got a full day on Sunday, starting with judging the OpenMic UK auditions at Ferneham Hall in Fareham in the afternoon, then I'll be heading to The Pyramids in Southsea where I'm exhibiting and performing Supremely, Diana Ross at a wedding show. Getting married? Then join me at The Portsmouth Wedding Show on Sunday!

Finally, I am performing my own songs from my solo release, Let Go, backed by my covers band, Move On Up! We will be supporting Alt3r Ego at Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho, London on the 28th of September from 12:00 noon. Tickets are £15, but if you order your tickets in advance quoting 'Yemen7' the tickets are just £10. Click here to purchase your tickets!

Well, that's it for now. Have a fabulous weekend!