Digging Your Scene

Digging Your Scene was set up as a platform to support the up and coming creative community, so we’re very keen to hear about any suggestions you may have for the site. Whilst having a conversation with one DYS member, Raphaella, she suggested having a dedicated section specifically “to help support & promote members of the Digging Your Scene community”, as she put it. So I asked her if she would be our first… The idea is to give you the opportunity to tell the community and any visitors a bit about yourself, maybe your inspirations, latest projects and what you’re looking to collaborate on.

We think this should be done on a monthly basis, so if you’d like to be featured and get some exposure for your talents, get in touch and let us know.

Now here’s Raphaella…

I’ve recently signed to an indie production label- Triple Eight Music, and am finishing writing and recording my debut album… all the while trying to finish my dissertation, and run a massive music charity event as I’m currently in my 3rd and final year of a music degree at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance. So am pretty much living a hectic but exciting double life.. one day recording in the studio until 2am, and then the next morning performing Jesus Christ Superstar at uni, and meeting essay deadlines.

YouTube playlist

I was never the coolest kid at school, not by a long shot. Chubby, frizzy haired and with train track braces was how I used to roll, but somehow music managed to make me feel slightly less alone at school and took me into its world even when the ‘mean girls’ wouldn’t. I’d spend hours in my room listening to mine and my parents’ record collection until I knew every song back to front, and even longer at the piano writing my own songs to say the words I couldn’t express in any other way. Because of this, it has made me want to create an album that’s able to reach people in the same way, and affect anyone who listens to it- guy or girl, young or old with the issues that we’re all affected by at some point in our lives.

I remember the first song I ever wrote was when I was about 9, when out on a Sunday with my family in town I saw a homeless man on the side of the road outside a famous London store. I couldn’t understand why everyone was just walking past him, and not helping him. So I tugged at my dad’s jacket, and asked ‘can’t we help him?’, he then explained to me about the homeless situation and I just couldn’t stop thinking about it all the way home in the car. When I got home, the first thing I did was sit behind the piano and write about the man I’d just seen. It had affected me so much that I felt I had to do something to help him, but the only way I knew how was to write a song for him, and hoped that somehow he’d hear it and know I cared.

About 4 years later I was selected from my school to attend Pineapple Performing Arts School, I caught the performing bug and stayed until I was 18. We had lessons in street dance, ballet, acting and singing. The singing classes there were the first time I’d experienced improvisation and gospel music. I’ll never forget when the teacher just told me to improvise, ‘sing what I felt’ in front of the whole class. I’d never done anything like it before, but somehow I came out with a whole song and stunned my teacher and class. From then on, improvisation has been one of my favorite parts of performing as you never know where it’s going to take you, and it’s expression in it’s rawest form as you have no where to hide. It completely changed my perspective on writing in general as now every song I write is born from an improvisation whether it be vocal or instrumental.

So to fast forward to now… a few years later, a lot of hard work and I hope an elevation in the cool stakes, I’m blessed to be working with a fantastic group of producers/artists and writers on my album ‘Issues’ which is going to be an ecclectic mix of pop/soul and dance… and I’m very excited to share it with you all very soon =)! Meanwhile, you can hear a little preview of what’s to come below or click on the links to my Myspace/ReverbNation/Twitter pages to hear more music, see some behind the scenes videos & blogs on a few cool projects coming up with The Roundhouse/EMI and the global charity Global Angels !

It would be really great to hear from some of you and get connected with more of the community on here… so please feel free to message/add me – it would be great to chat:)

Lots of love,

Raphaella X

Raphaella’s: Profile | Myspace | Twitter | Reverb Nation