Name/age/what you do 

Amy Fitz Doyley, 26, singer and songwriter from London. 

What does your creative work involve? 

Writing lyrics, devising and performing original work. Reworking cover songs and using music within the community as a tool to positively influence the lives of others.

Describe a typical day 

I'm generally an early riser, up early for a morning walk to prepare my mind for the rest of the day, followed by an ad-hoc activity, including lyric writing, practice, emailing and possibly busking along the Southbank. 

Tell us about one thing in your IdeasTap portfolio that you’re proud of 

There are some pictures in my portfolio from my University of Westminster final project. I found my final year at university quite challenging so it’s a great reminder to have images showing what I achieved and benchmarking how far I’ve come.

How did you learn your craft?

My background is in dance (the Royal Academy of Dance) but I was in various primary school choirs growing up. It wasn’t until I was about 13 that I realised that I enjoyed singing in a solo capacity.  After completing a music GCSE at secondary school, I did a two-year BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts (Musical Theatre) at The BRIT School before moving on to a BA at Westminster.  

I take inspiration from everything around me. My main instrument is my voice but I tinker around on the keyboard, the guitar and the ukelele for songwriting My teachers at school really helped me see my own potential. Also, coming from a family where my cousin is an opera singer and both my parents started out as soul singers means I’ve always had a great deal of support. 

Are there any big lessons that you’ve learnt in your career so far?

The obvious ones, like work hard, don’t give up and believe in yourself but also: don’t just limit yourself to your craft. It’s easy to decide that you’re only going to do music, for example, and become obsessed, locking yourself away from the rest of the world, as well as from possible opportunities. 

Another one is to become as self-sufficient as you can. Never allow the reliability of others to dictate the success of your career. People will let you down. Get your own gear and learn survival skills!

In a parallel universe, what would you be doing instead?

Working in a circus.  I’m absolutely mesmerised by the variety of tricks you can perform as part of a circus act and not too long ago did a taster session in static trapeze at AirCraft Circus. Maybe that’s not such a parallel universe after all! 

What are you up to at the moment?

At the moment I’m recording some new music for release while performing as much as possible in and around London. I’m a member of an organisation called Roots & Routes – an international network for the promotion of cultural and social diversity in contemporary performing arts and media – and I’ve just been offered a place on the Spitalfields Core Music Leaders Scheme. 

Earlier this year I worked with Turtle Key Arts, an opportunity for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia to sing and compose their own songs with professional musicians.

Who are you looking to connect with on IdeasTap?

People of all ages, backgrounds and abilities with not only creative ideas but ambition and a desire to make good art in London or elsewhere. This could be animators, live musicians, producers, actors, vocalists, poets, beatboxers, filmmakers and directors, event organisers and acrobats.

Also people who speak more than one language, as I’m interested in putting together a portfolio of work that’s representative of London’s multicultural society.  

Would you like to be featured in Meet...? Get in touch ideasmag@ideastap.com 

To be considered, you must have been an IdeasTap member for at least three months, have a photo on your profile and work uploaded to your portfolio.  

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Image © Aileen Wessely.