Full name/age/job title
Becca Toft, 24, freelance musician
Please give us an overview of your average day
I teach one-on-one for three days a week, but when I’m not in school, I do a mixture of practice, rehearsals, arranging music, creating marketing material, keeping up-to-date with admin, performances and any extra bits of work that get thrown my way.
What is the most common misconception about your job?
That I do only one thing. I have a portfolio career. Different projects require me to adopt a different role and use different skills. Today I’ll be a teacher, a trumpet player, a marketing manager and an arranger.
What is the hardest thing about your role?
Remembering to take time off. It’s very easy to immerse yourself in work, especially if you have a lot going on, but it’s important to take time to relax and recharge so you don’t wear yourself out.
When did you decide what you wanted to do with your life and how did you set out to achieve it?
I decided I wanted to go into the arts when I was 12, I didn’t know what exactly I wanted to do but knew the direction. From then on, I got involved with as many ensembles and projects that I could find and tried to challenge myself to create opportunities for my work to be performed. I did this all the way through school, university and still today.
What can you do to get a head start?
Be proactive. Don’t wait for someone to give you an opportunity. The more people you know and the more you get involved with things, the more opportunities will appear.
Could you describe the creative element to your job?
Creating music – as a player, singer and writer. As a trumpet player, I play in cabaret bands, big band, chamber ensembles, show bands and orchestras. As a singing teacher I help others express their musicality. I also help with musicals in schools. And as a writer, I write to a brief, often adding my own style to another piece of music.
What’s the one thing you wish you had known at the start of your career that you know now?
If you’re not enjoying something, don’t go back again just because it pays. You won’t get any creative satisfaction and the work that it may lead to will also be work you’re not interested in. Spend the time doing things you love and work on those areas so you can do them more.
Which organisations/websites/resources do you think would be useful for people entering your industry?
www.imslp.org - a free database that contains scores and parts to a huge amount of music (all out of copyright). This is great for studying scores, arranging music and preparing for orchestral concerts.
BBC Radio 2 – if you’re looking to expand your knowledge of different genres, then the evening/weekend shows on Radio 2 are really useful. They have weekly programmes covering most forms of music – folk, big band, brass band, musicals, organ music etc. If I’m looking for a change from my usual music, I’ll see what’s playing on BBC Radio 2 and nearly always introduced to new music.
LSO Discovery and The Southbank Centre – keep an eye out for events, education and workshops run by these organisations.
For more articles, jobs and opportunities, visit our Performing Arts hub.
Image courtesy of Becca Toft
