After her recent incredible performance at Cafe Del Nino in High Green Court, we caught up with local talent Beth Ford. Beth is an Artist in every sense of the word, with amazing gifts in both her musical and painting projects. She displays maturity and talent far beyond her 17 years, as her facebook page bio says, “She has always been far more at home in the world of classical artists and musical theatre than contemporary pop music.”

photography credit: NikkiLewisPhotography

At what point did you start taking singing seriously, and why does it mean so much to you?

Before i could even remember i had a love for music. I sang in school choirs, i joined a choir at forest arts centre which i am still in today and was in a children’s choir at my local church. Yet the one moment in my life where i truly knew it was what i wanted to do was when i got the opportunity to perform with Alfie Boe at Birmingham Symphony Hall in 2010 Before then i was shy and unconfident but after that moment it gave me the confidence to follow the dream i had to pursue my love of music. Music allows me to express myself in a way not possible through talking, i feel at home when I’m on stage singing songs i love.

What are your biggest musical influences?

Many people have inspired me regarding my music and there are many people that i consider an inspiration to me. I’m a fan of many different types of music so i wouldn’t be able to tell you specific people. My family have had a large impact on my music throughout my life and always encourage me to do the best i can and to do what i love. Being from a musical family also has an impact on who i am today and i will forever be grateful for all their love and support.

What musical events do you have coming up?

I think the biggest event that I have coming up is the EP launch for Mary-Jess’ EP in Gloucester on the 20th April. I had the privilege to record a duet with Mary-Jess for her new EP and i can honestly say it has been one of the best experiences of my life. From recording the song (though i can’t say what the song is as its first being sung at the release party), to filming the music video, and i am highly anticipating the 20th. Mary-Jess sings the theme tune on the Downton Abbey album, was the winner of the Chinese equivalent of X factor and has recently toured with G4.

You can purchase tickets to this event by clicking here!

What has been your highlight in your musical career so far?

One of the biggest things thats ever happened to me would be the video that was posted on my youtube channel. When having a photo shoot at the Rugby school i sang pie jesu at the empty church. It was filmed without me knowing and posted on Youtube. The video was picked up by the San Francisco globe and went viral. Today it has over 130,000 views. From that i went on to having radio interviews on BBC wm , BBC Midlands Today and other performances. It was a real turning point in my career and made me believe in myself that i could have a career doing what i love most. I’ve always thought that if you are doing what you love you never have to work a day in your life.

Do you get nervous before you perform? And do you have any tips for other aspiring singers that might suffer from stage fright?

I always get nervous before i perform, but as soon as I’m standing behind the mic all of the nerves just fade away. I feel at home there so i no longer have any reason to be nervous. It’s completely natural to get nervous before you perform but if you believe in yourself and you love what you do then nothing will stop you from following your dreams and being the person you want to be. I used to be so nervous about singing in front of other people. Though i sang when i was as young as two, i never sang in front of an audience alone until i was 11. It wasn’t until i sang with Alfie Boe that i realised i had nothing to fear. And if you truly love what you do then no one should fear it they should embrace it. Music is an important part of my life , but I’m also lucky enough to also enjoy my art work which gives me a lovely balance . I have been lucky enough to have received several commissions for my Art and enjoy drawing / painting portraits of people and pets.

 Beth with her A-level art work

further examples of Beth’s beautiful art

click here to watch some of Beth’s amazing performances on her youtube channel

It has been an absolute pleasure having Beth visit High Green Court and we hope she will return soon for another open mic jam night at Caffe Del Ninos!

Keep up to date with Beth’s planned performances and future musical releases by following her twitter @BethFordMusic and website