INTERVIEW
From a loving and supportive family home and school at JCG,
Hannah has always loved to perform. Her passion stemmed from
dancing and she took her skills to London’s School of Musical
Theatre following a gap year after her A-Levels. It was at LSMT
that Hannah quite literally found her voice. The change in pace
and levels of pressure were the catalysts for progress and practicing
the art of being more confident. Having cut her gap year short to
attend the prestigious stage school, at 18 years old, Hannah was
thrown in at the deep end; moving from our little island to live
right in the middle of London. Long days, which consisted of
drama, dance and ‘chunky singing’ classes, were accompanied by
jobs in the theatre in some form or another at the weekends. In
a new class with new faces all around her, Hannah made friends
with peers who’d essentially end up being her competition in this
‘fast track route to the West End’.
“I’d definitely have benefitted from going to
a place like Chordz in the lead up to LSMT. It
was totally different to anything I’d done before. I
guess that with confidence and anxiety as an issue
for young people, it’s important to keep them
interested and enthused by making things fun
and relatable. As I grew up, I was really, really shy
and quite sensitive, and I’d never have thought I’d
end up doing any of this!”
As she went off to London as an avid dancer,
Hannah says that LSMT opened a door for her
to pursue singing. Having grown up watching
her mum sing (Sharon Campbell is still a regular
performer and recently starred in ‘Bette & Joan’
at the Jersey Opera House), Hannah had always
believed that dance would ‘be her thing’.
“I hadn’t really thought about singing much
before - and I loved it. The only thing was that
I struggled a bit with my confidence. Singing is
such a personal thing; it’s like baring all.”
As a music teacher herself, Hannah taps into
some of the lessons she learned back in London.
People and practices that really boosted her teenage confidence
now influences her own teaching style. Recounting a method
used by one of the top level professionals that would visit them
each Friday, Hannah told us about a time she was plucked from
the group and asked to copy exactly what her teacher did.
“She asked me to sing first and I died a little bit inside! not
great when you’re a young girl who’s trying to look cool! I had to
mimic her, following her round the room, flailing my arms and
singing crazy noises louder and louder. Suddenly she stopped
and told me to sing my song again… I sung and my voice just
went big - I never knew I could do that! It really was a pivotal
confidence building moment for me.”
“It’s about working out the harmonies,” she says, “and that
goes for learning music to life itself ”. Fist bumps were had in
agreement at this point and Hannah’s face shone as we talked
about her students and how they grow confidence by having
fun whilst learning at Chordz. In fact, she wasn’t a bit wrong,
Hannah is a sensitive soul as there was most definitely a happy
tear in her eye as she recounted one particular story of a young lad
who had gone from strength to strength at Chordz Rock School.
Camaraderie within the students is fervent and flourishing and
the teachers are quite the opposite of ‘typical’. If you think up
the notion of the coolest big brother or sister, then you can start
to get the vibe of how these guys work at Chordz. It’s hardly any
wonder; as we sit in the cafe downstairs where the vibe is relaxed
yet perky, fun and a place that any young person or teenager
would feel right at home - that goes for parents too!
A couple of students give mega props to their favourite music
teacher as they nip in for a smoothie and parents of students
all stop to say hi to Hannah. Working alongside the people she
describes as family, it’s no wonder she loves her day job.
Outside of ‘school’ Hannah is known for her performing.
From her time in the trio known as Honeybun;
a talented line up, styled to perfection, the girls
became stars of the stage from hotels to big events
like The Big Gig and were even flown to London
to perform at a swanky, private event. Singing with
her mum in an Abba Tribute band was her first
memory of getting up on stage and she’s gone on
to sing with The Optimistic Voices who played at
the recent Liberation Day celebrations.
Hannah’s always evolving with her music and
her performances and is never afraid to mix things
up or change direction completely.
Nowadays, alongside some of her Chordz
cohorts, Hannah is the lead singer in the
Roodmood covers band. Hitting the high notes
of many a wedding or special event, the band
has gone from strength to strength (do check out
their gorgeous Insta feed!). Driven by a passion
for music and with the effervescence of a happy
crew behind her on stage, Hannah’s performances
are always a treat. Putting a lot of her confidence
and ability down to experiencing new things and
staying focused, Hannah thinks that travel is a
‘must’ when you come from a small island.
“I’d say it’s really important to get off of Jersey at some point
in order to really value what we have here. You’re always happy
to come home to Jersey aren’t you? On the other side though,
Jersey can feel a little small and definitely when it comes to
music, it can be competitive or sometimes people are afraid
that they might be treading on other peoples’ feet. I think it’s so
important to keep your eyes on what you want to do; what you
want to achieve. I’m really mindful to keep a check on staying
focused. As a function covers band, we have to keep things fresh
and different - although they’re covers, we like to put our unique
stamp on all of our performances. When I sing something, I have
to feel proud of it.”
With a team of equally talented musicians behind her and job
that involves her nearest and dearest friends, as well as a fabulous
family, Hannah isn’t shy about expressing how happy she is. We
don’t blame you, Hannah; living the dream whilst working out
the harmonies in life.
"I guess that
with confidence
and anxiety
as an issue for
young people,
it’s important
to keep them
interested
and enthused
by making
things fun and
relatable."
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