Sitting in London’s
finest De’Vouire Hotel, I anticipate the arrival of Alexi Davies.
It’s 9:26 am and the streets are already teaming with traffic while
a parade of business men and women flock the crowded and narrow
streets of Westminster. I on the other hand, is sat indulging in a
lovely strawberry and crème scone with a delightful tea, heaped to
the brim with sugar.
At about 9:39 am,
Alexis walks in sporting a flushed look, probably from dodging the
chaos that was occurring outside the window. Settling into her seat
we begin.
Growing up in North
Yorkshire with a farmer for a father and a Nursery teacher for a
mother did you at all feel that the prospects of becoming a musician
were small? Even at a young age I was intrigued by the whole
concept of music and how one simple instrument could produce such an
intricate sound. My friend’s mother played the flute; I always
jumped at the chance to sleepover at hers and all night symphonies of
pure perfection would be created. My parents didn’t prevent me from
playing an instrument but they weren’t overly enthusiastic. They
weren’t captivated by the charm of music like I was so my music
career nearly never happened if it weren’t for my friends mother.
Do you think if you
weren’t an only child, your chances of becoming a flautist would
have increased? No, … well, not really. Imagine if I had
siblings, the very little time I had with my parents – due to their
busy work schedule, I’d have to share with the rest of my brothers
or sisters. It sounds selfish but being an only child was amazing.
Not that I was greedy and spoilt, but I was able to get the music
lessons I needed, and they didn’t come cheap. Also not having
brothers and sisters to nag you all the time allowed me to have free
time to play the flute and to just relax.
Did you ever believe
you’d be where you are today? If you told me today I’d be
working with an orchestra on the new ‘Divergent’ film I would
call you straight out mad. For me, this industry is all about luck
and getting people to notice you. You have a few second sin life to
prove yourself before someone else jumps into view, you have to be
quick. There are people that have been training all their lives to be
where am now, I am genuinely grateful for everyone’s help. It’s
not all about knowing people and having contacts, it’s about
sticking in, working hard and proving to everyone and yourself that
you can do this, you are a performer and you are going to make it; if
not, why are you still here?
How did you handle
rejections? Have you nearly given up before? The ‘one door
closes and another one opens’ is a lie. You will get a thousand
knock back, I have had about a thousand. In 2001 I applied for a
Guildhall school of music and drama. Even though it was a school I
failed the entry audition and I thought my life was over. For weeks I
dwelled on what my life would become. Soon enough I realised that if
I am not performing I am not living, I picked myself up and I
auditioned and pushed my music into the faces of anyone who would
stop and listen, with years and years of blood, sweat and tears I
‘made it’. Well, ‘making it’ isn’t about money and all the
fame, it’s about being able to have a career and do what you’ve
always dreamed of. I have given up numerous of times, looking back, I
look so stupid giving up.
What was your
greatest achievement? Definitely winning the National
Musician award for the youngest musician of the year. It genuinely
shocked me and I had some of my idols from when I was a little girl
come and greet me and congratulate me. By far one of the best days of
my life.
Where do you see
yourself going? I believe, and hope I am rather young to be in
the ‘music industry’. I am 25 years old and have achieved so much
in so little time, I really don’t know where I will end up but I do
hope its somewhere good. All will be well if I can continue playing
my flute. It’s my passion, it’s my job, it’s my life, I really
do enjoy every moment of my career so far.
Do you want to start
a family? I’d have to find someone first! I would love to start
a family. To move back to my home town eventually or somewhere so
tranquil and peaceful, to bring up a family in that environment would
be amazing. I’d love to have children but right now I’m more
focused on my career … but maybe one day.
What a wonderful
interview with the lovely Alexis Davies. We will post updates on our
twitter feed of how she is getting on and you never know, we may be
covering an article feature where she wins the Global Musician Award!
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