Portfolio for Internship with Shola Kaye:

Example of some of the tasks I was asked to complete:

Examples of some of the spreadsheets I created for Shola:

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Examples of articles I wrote for Shola:

The following article was published:

“You swore you’d make your wedding plans as stress-free as possible. After all, the most important thing is the love you share for each other, right? But your wedding day is looming and preparations need to be made. Among them, what kind of music to go for?

It’s tempting to ignore everyone else and base the decision on your own personal tastes. After all, it’s your wedding. But, if your elderly Grandma Joan is attending, is it wise to have an Eminem tribute band playing? Of if you know Uncle Peter can’t wait to get down to Abba’s Dancing Queen, is it sensible to book that techno DJ friend of yours who always ignores requests?

Over the last ten years I’ve sung at hundreds of weddings and I’m going to note down a few points to keep in mind when booking wedding music for your big day.

What’s the style of your wedding? Rustic, Bohemian, Shabby Chic, Sophisticated? Choose a performer that goes well with your chosen theme. For example, acoustic acts are very popular and are great for the lawn before or after the ceremony. Or perhaps you’d like a string quartet to play at the champagne reception. If you have a large hall to fill with many guests maybe you’d prefer a function band or DJ?

As a performer I sing Jazz and Motown. But not necessarily at the same event. Jazz goes down well at sophisticated, intimate weddings while Motown is a popular choice when there’s a wide range of ages and tastes to keep happy. Everyone can dance and teenagers all the way through to grandparents can enjoy it. Once, at a wedding where I’d just sung my Motown set, I had a mother approach me in grateful tears after seeing her nineteen year old son dance in public for the first time in more than ten years. That’s the power of choosing the right music!

I’ve also sung in several function bands. Their role is to keep the whole gamut of guests happy at weddings and parties and they’re a great middle of the road option if you like current and classic chart hits.

Next, what are your personal tastes as a couple? Is music vitally important to you? If so you might spend a few months scouting around for local indie bands you love, maybe even ones that play original music. If you’re more interested in a particular genre, say pop or rock, then go ahead and book an appropriate function band with good references and a playlist of popular hits.

What do you know about your guests? Will you be inviting mostly your friends from college? How about your coworkers? Family? Are your guests more conservative or radical? Do they seem to prefer contemporary party hits or more traditional music? If you invite your little cousins, will the music be appropriate? Maybe you want to invite people of all ages. In that case, booking a DJ might be a more versatile choice. Usually they can play a wider range of musical styles. You want to like the music as a couple, but you also want to make your loved ones happy!

What’s your budget? It’s easy to forget that your budget is important when choosing wedding music. Booking a solo performer is usually best with a smaller budget. A band/DJ usually serves to a bigger budget (and venue size). If your budget is very high, you may even be able to book one of the contestants from a TV pop show like Idol or X-factor. They could be fairly affordable and a great talking point among your guests. If you do your research ahead of time hopefully you’ll be very happy with your choice!

Also, if you find a band you like but their price is a bit out of your range, ask them if they can perform in a stripped down line up. For example, I sing Motown as a solo with backing tracks, and also as a girl duo or trio, all the way up to a 10-piece band. That way I can keep my act accessible and affordable and still suit most budgets. You should keep in mind that many contracts ask you to provide the band with food and drink. This might be an expense you hadn’t reckoned on.

How big is the venue? Venue size is something people often overlook. I’ve been at venues where a full band has been booked to play but the reception room is tiny. If there are no alternate spaces for people to relax in you might end up blowing Granddad’s ear drums out! If space is limited but you’d still like to dance, you may want to consider booking an artist who performs with backing tracks. That way all they have to bring along is their compact PA system and iPad versus a whole raft of musical instruments, sound monitors and large speakers.

Most artists who perform solo, as I often do, are great at getting the audience involved and have enough presence to fill the stage. So don’t worry that a solo act won’t have enough charisma to entertain your guests.

How do you choose the right band? Size of venue, budget, and type of guests should

narrow down your options. But don’t forget about your personal tastes as a couple—it’s your celebration! Before booking the band, you should get to know the way they perform. Request a demo CD, watch them on YouTube or try to see them at a live showcase. This will help you decide if the band is what you’re looking for and if it is appropriate for your type of wedding.

And if you’d like music written just for you? These days, very few couples want a cookie cutter day so weddings are becoming more and more customized. This also applies to wedding music. I believe that every love story is unique and deserves to be shared, so I started a company called Blockbuster Bride. My team and I create specially written music that tells your love story. You can also use lyrics from this bespoke song in your wedding stationery or have it as the soundtrack of your wedding movie or slideshow. This personal experience can be a great way to remember your wedding forever!

Your wedding is a happy celebration for you no matter what. But reduce your pre-wedding stress to a minimum by asking yourself these important and you’ll keep your guests happy too. Booking the right band will make your special day unforgettable!

Listen to Shola being interviewed about wedding entertainment here: http://savethedatepodcast.com/2015/03/wedding-music-get-it-right-to-make-your-night/

Shola Kaye is a London-based Jazz and Motown singer who performs internationally in a variety of line-ups. She’s sung support for Florence and the Machine and Andy Abraham (UK Eurovision contestant and X-Factor runner-up). She’s also the founder of www.blockbusterbride.com, creating custom wedding songs for brides and grooms worldwide. Find out more at www.motownsinger.com and www.sholakaye.com”

Example of Shola’s Twitter Page that I worked on:

Example of a biography I wrote of Shola for various websites:

“Shola is a London-based professional Motown/Jazz singer, public speaker, and founder of several wedding-oriented companies. A woman of many creative talents, she changed careers and residential locations quite a few times before finding exactly what she wanted to do in life. Presently, she is the happiest she has ever been and encourages everyone to follow their hearts and find their true passions.

So let’s start from the beginning. How exactly did she get to be such a successful entrepreneur and renowned singer/songwriter? Shola was born in London to Nigerian parents. A British family fostered her for years before she attended Cambridge University. Following graduation, she became an award-winning Chemistry teacher and moved to the United States to earn her Masters degree. She changed her career and decided to join the corporate world. A management consultant at Goldman Sachs in New York City was a financially rewarding job for her, but she wasn’t happy. A natural introvert, Shola wasn’t comfortable presenting and pitching ideas to prospective clients.

With lack of confidence and a stifled creativity, she left the company and started studying with one of the world’s top vocal coaches, Seth Riggs. She moved to London to start a new career as an account director for a design firm while simultaneously studying with another top vocal coach, Kim Chandler. She eventually decided to leave the corporate world and start

a new dream: life coaching. It was this job that built up her confidence enough to become a professional Motown/Jazz singer. Shola has performed at gigs supporting stars such as Florence and the Machine, Paul Young, Tony Hadley and George Mellie, and has entertained at many weddings and corporate functions in front of audiences as large as 15,000 people. She also performs with a live jazz band as well as offering a tribute to Diana Ross. Recent corporate clients include John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Sony Pictures and Waitrose and Shola regularly appears at venues such as The Park Lane Hilton, The Groucho Club and Harvey Nichols, London. She has appeared on TV in the UK, Spain and Iran and her performances have been featured in the Huffington Post and Digital Spy.

Along with professionally singing and speaking publicly (mainly at corporate events) about changing careers and doing what makes you happy, she has founded two wedding-oriented companies called SongBelles and Blockbuster Bride. Having sung at numerous weddings, Shola was often curious about the bride and groom’s story. She realized that photo slideshows and wedding videos would be so much more emotional and personal when accompanied by an original song about the couple. So she decided to combine both her business education and love for entertainment into two separate businesses. SongBelles is a company that turns a story into a song, video, and live performance. The SongBelles team will create exciting set-pieces for corporate events, including a bespoke song containing your business message and a fully branded, themed, industry-specific live show to promote and spread awareness of a company’s brand. SongBelles can also create exciting set-pieces for weddings and other special occasions.

Blockbuster Bride is another company that Shola founded. With her team, she creates video slideshows with specially written music that show and tell a bride and groom’s love story. The lyrics from these bespoke songs can also be used in the couple’s wedding stationary and/or party favors.

Shola is widely available for gigs and for keynote speeches and workshops. She loves to speak on topics such as encouraging people to overcome setbacks while simultaneously finding one’s unique voice. If she doesn’t already do enough, she has also developed a workshop for corporates with an emphasis on: 1) developing conversational speaking skills for work-related presentations 2) using storytelling to engage audiences 3) utilizing drama, vocal variety and expression to create a compelling audience experience. In both her keynote speeches and workshops, Shola continues to use the power of song and musical performance to create a unique, refreshing and memorable experience for attendees.

Shola has become very successful not by sitting around waiting for her life to find its right course, but by working hard and taking chances. She followed her heart and it led her to great happiness and personal fulfillment. She is the perfect example of her own life coaching advice and she continues to change lives every single day with her public speaking and astounding musical performances.”

Some of Shola’s Companies/Websites That I Worked On:

Figure 1: SongBelles Website

Figure 2: Blockbuster Bride Website

Figure 3: Shola's Soundcloud Link