• Singer Songwriter and Alumni Evie Rose Cordery Smith - Masterclass with year 9 Music students 

Singer Songwriter and Alumni Evie Rose Cordery Smith - Masterclass with year 9 Music students 



On Friday 20th of February 2020 former Highams Park student Evie Rose Cordery Smith visited our school to run a songwriting masterclass with our Year 9’S.

Set within the acoustically sound Main School Hall, the session started with Evie kindly offering the group 2 performances of her own songs:

  • ‘Jimmy’s song’ written about a relationship she was in when she while at Highams Park School.

And:

  • ‘Inside all day’ which charted Evie’s struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression having suffered from domestic abuse in a relationship.

Journey from Highams Park School to present

  • Evie discussed her interest in poetry and writing songs while she at school and the fact that she was in many of the school shows. However she expressed how she kept a low profile on her singing for a long time, only getting into singing when she was in year 9.
  • Notably, Evie was chosen by her then music teacher to sing the starting line for 'Les Misérables'. At this point she was told by teacher she had a ‘...great voice’ and so with increased confidence decided to pursue singing.
  • Evie's enthusiasm and diligence culminated in her securing the lead role of Sandy in Grease in the school's production. Evie then went on to read for a degree in Popular Music at Goldsmiths College, University of London.

‘Sixes and Seven’s’

Evie’s current project is called ‘Sixes and Seven's’. The name relates to 2 things - that Evie is the 6th grandchild in her extended family. Secondly, it is also about the challenges of dealing with Post traumatic Stress disorder as a result of both enduring and surviving an abusive relationship, thankfully subsequently 'falling in love' for the first time afterwards and how she has learnt to build healthy relationships.

Gran

‘Sixes and Seven’s’ is also an ode to Evie’s wonderful gran to whom Evie has dedicated the final song to her on her album.

Social Media and Mental Wellbeing

Evie talked about the importance not to be overly fixated on social media and I’m out of you is that you get online. She highlighted the importance to look after your well-being and to pursue an interest or interest that you love for the joy of doing so for the aim of pleasing others which detrimental for one’s well-being.

Preparation

  • By June 2020 Evie hopes to have her pictures, artwork and ‘thank you’s’ completed on her new project.
  • Evie told the year 9’s about her journey to becoming a singer songwriter. She enjoys working with young people and started working as a teaching assistant that Newington Green primary school. Evie quit the job without having another option and decided to pursue her passion. She approached many local restaurants in Chingford and Highams Park offering £100 to sing for four hours at a time. Although this is exhaustive, the risk paid off and let to Evie successfully building  a network of contacts from 'The Box' box in Shoreditch to 'The Curtain' curtain in and gaining bigger and better experiences as a performer.
  • Evie really emphasised to the year 9’s the importance of not being afraid to work hard. She currently works part time as a nanny in Kensington to fund her journey to success.

“Follow your passions and don’t let the money put you off. No matter what your background is you will find your own way.” Evie Rose, 2020

Main musical influences

Evie’s main musical inspirations include Amy Winehouse and Ms Dynamite who she believes to be a great performer with a long-standing career in music.

Ms. Dynamite 'Brother'

  • Evie emphasised the importance of words and referenced Ms Dynamite’s song which sums up her love for her younger sibling who she describes as her best friend.
  • She talked about how despite the different experiences that people might have in life (e.g. social class and ethnicity)the feeling of love is the same and songs can denote this feeling.

What comes first... the song or the words?

For Evie, words come always come first before music. She is keen for her audience to feel the message in the songs and to inspire them. For example in her song ‘inside all day’ Evie wanted to convey the realities of an abusive relationship to tell others that they’re not alone;there is a way out and connect with them so they feel part of something.

Group task

The  Year 9’s were given a group writing task to  write lyrics for a song thinking about which audience they are pitching it at and what message they wish to convey.

Thank you!

We thank Evie for the time she spent with our year 9’s to inspire them to use words to express themselves and influence change.   We look forward to welcoming back Evie  in the near future as she has kindly offered to review some of the finished songs and performances from this year group.

Big thanks goes to Miss Arben for facilitating and organising such an engaging songwriting activity .