DMC Artist Showcase 2024

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Drake Music Collective Artist Showcase 2024: In Review.

 

BSL interpreter on stage during Daisy Highman's performance with her band. The back lighting is pink.
A BSL interpreter on stage during a performance

 

On Wednesday, 31st January 2024, we celebrated the Drake Music Collective Artist Showcase; a culmination of our 2023 Resident and Emergent Artist programmes. An audience of around 60 industry professionals joined us at the magnificent LSO St Luke’s in London, with more of you tuning in online via live stream for a night of exciting music, thought-provoking conversation, and new connections.

 

A photograph of Miss Jacqui on stage sitting in her wheelchair. Miss Jacqui is smiling and is holding a piece of card.
Miss Jacqui

 

Songwriter, artist, poet, and our host for the evening, Miss Jacqui, commenced the proceedings with an introduction to the Drake Music Collective (DMC). In collaboration with the events team at LSO St Luke’s, Miss Jacqui provided key insights and tips throughout the night on how to integrate accessibility for performers, ensuring that the best and brightest talent for venues and events are not overlooked!

 

A photograph of Elizabeth J. Birch performing on stage. Elizabeth is sitting in her wheelchair, with a microphone and other pieces of audio equipment.
Elizabeth J. Birch

 

The first performance of the night came from Emergent Artist Elizabeth J. Birch. Fusing electronic sounds with evocative stories, Elizabeth captivated the audience with her tech-wizardry and emotive vocals. A vocalist, composer, producer, and tech enthusiast, she believes that “music is for all,” striving for authenticity and intrigued by how different sounds can create and convey emotional states. Elizabeth draws inspiration from boundary-blurring artists such as Low, Gary Numan, and David Bowie, as well as everyday occurrences and the world around her.

Find out more… 

Follow Elizabeth on Instagram
Like Elizabeth on Facebook 
Find Elizabeth on Youtube
Listen to Elizabeth on Bandcamp
Listen to Elizabeth on Spotify 

 

A photograph of Geo Aghinea performing on stage. Geo has headphones on and is singing into a microphone.
Geo Aghinea

 

Up next was Geo Aghinea. Geo is a London-based producer, composer, and vocalist who continuously strives to create a distinctive soundscape that reflects their experience as a Deaf musician hearing through a synthetic mechanism: hearing aids.

As heard on their self-produced EP titled ‘I’ll Hand You A Hand’, Geo’s sound design, ethereal vocals, and poetic language create experimental, avant-garde immersive spatial sonic spaces that take listeners on emotive journeys.

Find out more…  

Follow Geo on Instagram
Check out Geo’s website 
Listen to Geo on Bandcamp
Listen to Geo on Spotify 

 

A photograph of Rivkala with her band in the background. Rivkala is on stage singing into a microphone.
Rivkala and her band

 

Our final Emergent Artist performance of the evening was Rivkala, joined by her band. Rivkala is a Newcastle-based neo-soul artist, songwriter, singer, and pianist, and an alumna of Generator NE’s First Notes programme, funded by Youth Music. Raised in Manchester on a varied diet of jazz, funk, disco, psych rock, and soul, her writing is flavoured with their broad influence, characterized by catchy melodic hooks, bass-driven grooves, and socially poignant lyrics.

Find out more… 

Follow Rivkala on Instagram
Follow Rivkala on Tik Tok  
Listen to Rivkala on Apple Music 

 

A photograph of Daisy Higman on stage. To her left are two other singers. They are all standing and singing into microphones.
Daisy Higman (left), Bea Jarvis and Helen Bovey

 

After a short interval and some refreshments, our first Resident Artist performance of the evening came from composer, voice teacher, and singer, Daisy Higman. Daisy was joined on stage by Bea Jarvis and Helen Bovey, who have collaborated throughout Daisy’s residency at DM, performing a track titled ‘This Body is Weary’.

Over the last year, Daisy’s work has taken her into schools, community centers, universities, drama schools, colleges, theaters, day centers, yoga studios – even aquariums. She has worked with groups to create albums, demos, podcasts, gigs, installations, and shows, and has run career development programs and skills-building workshops for young musicians.

Find out more..

Watch Daisy on Youtube
Listen to Daisy on SoundCloud

 

A photograph of Ysabelle Wombwell on stage with her band of 6. Ysabelle is playing an acoustic guitar and is singing into a microphone.
Ysabelle Wombell (third from right) and her band

 

The final performance of the evening was brought to us by Ysabelle Wombell and her band. Also a 2023 DMC Resident Artist, musician, composer, and producer, Ysabelle’s music is honest and evocative, often inspired by her experiences of depression, solo parenthood, abuse, and exclusion. It is heavily influenced by her lived experience of racial and gender discrimination, as well as ableism.

Ysabelle has toured across Europe, and her music has received both national and international airplay. Her performing highlights include supporting First Aid Kit, Baby Gramps, and The Magic Numbers.

Find out more…

Check out Ysabelle’s website
Listen to Ysabelle on Spotify
Or on Soundcloud!

Accessibility

Accessibility is our top priority when running events and projects at Drake Music. Project Manager Lisa Heywood and Access Coordinator Matthew worked closely with individual artists to ensure all access needs were met throughout the duration of the program and during the event. Leading up to the night itself, we collaborated closely with the events and technical team at LSO St Luke’s to help develop their accessibility procedures. As a result, an access guide to the venue and a virtual backstage tour for artists were created. Both of these are legacy tools that can be used again for future events. In addition to this, there were also BSL interpreters and live captioning on stage and in the live stream, alongside a designated quiet space for audience members. We also brought in a mobile Changing Places facility, located just outside of the step-free venue.

With thanks to:

LSO St Luke’s
Arts Council England
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
PRS Foundation Talent Development Fund
Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation
Foyle Foundation
D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
Austin and Hope Pilkington Charitable Trust

All photo credits to: @test_explosion / @test__shoots and @jorddeano23 on Instagram.

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