“I want to show other people that, despite a disability you can achieve and that’s a big part of what this latest chapter is all about.” – Gemma Mills
A tenacious Solihull entrepreneur has every reason to be proud following the recent expansion of her performing arts academy on its 21st anniversary – overcoming grief and a series of major health setbacks along the way.
Gemma Mills’ award-winning Born2Sing, has extended beyond vocal coaching to reach young people with talents and interests across the wider creative arts, including dance, drama and musical theatre. And there’s even plans for a host of new creative workshops, including film and photography, coming down the tracks.
Gemma said: “We believe creativity extends far beyond the stage. B2S Creative Arts represents our next chapter: more opportunities, more creativity and more ways for young people to discover where they belong.”
But it’s a chapter the founder has had to strive particularly hard to attain since establishing her business, against a backdrop of debilitating conditions including fibromyalgia, asthma and endometriosis, a chronic incurable disease which resulted in a hysterectomy at the age of 35.
This was only a few years after Gemma found her voice again following 13-years of being unable to perform publicly, brought on by the crippling grief after her father’s sudden death from a heart attack, when she was just 17.
She reflects: “I was rehearsing with other musicians in college one afternoon and my mum came to break the news that dad had died. I’ll never forget that day because I think that was one of the biggest pivots for me musically. It really made it hard for me to sing professionally again because I associated it with the trauma of being given that awful news.
“I hadn’t realised it for so long. I was trying to pursue a career and I wanted to sing. But there was a mental block.”
Today though, led by Gemma, a trained specialist in Sounds of Intent, Born2Sing Creative Arts has gone from strength to strength, moving beyond traditional performing arts education by offering tailored support for 2-18-year-olds in private vocal coaching, audition preparation, GCSE support, career guidance and now also, as a registered Arts Awards Centre for Trinity College London.
Hundreds of the academy’s students have also been supported with preparation for TV audition opportunities including The Voice, The Voice Kids, The X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, as well as performances at local theatres. and alongside community events, charity performances, showcases and more.
But it was her own lived experience as a mum of two sons with autism, that prompted her to also open up her academy to those with complex needs.
Gemma has pioneered an inclusive performing arts space where young people, regardless of ability, can find their voice, gain confidence, and succeed in ways they never thought possible. From their venue at Lyndon Methodist Church, the staff and volunteers are experienced in coaching SEN children with ASD, ADHD, Epilepsy, Dyslexia, Visual and Hearing Impairment, Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and more.
She said: “I originally only wanted to start a vocal academy but it has become more than that. It became everything it is now – a space for children who are struggling with either finding their voice or parents who are struggling to find a space for children who don’t fit into the mainstream environment.
“I know what it’s like to be that parent and I wanted to give them that space to be themselves more than anything and create a community where they can ask questions or get that support they don’t currently feel they’re getting.”
She added: “Singing is at the heart of what we do here, but it’s about finding your voice in all sorts of ways it. It’s about learning to speak up for yourself and finding confidence. I’ve had to find mine over all these years to be able to advocate for myself.
“Everybody in our Academy team has lived experience – they’ve either got children with additional needs themselves or they’re working in that environment during the day. Essentially what we provide is a relaxed, low demand environment in which children can still gain qualifications and experience.”
Despite her poor health often sidelining her ambitions, the former school peripatetic music teacher knows she is in the right field of work when it comes to the proven health benefits of singing and music. These range from increasing serotonin levels, enhancing lung function and capacity, reducing blood pressure, helping with pain relief, reducing stress levels, improving memory, and stimulating multiple areas of the brain simultaneously.
“I believe that I’m in the best job for my health. Singing releases an endorphin called serotonin, which is a natural antidepressant. Whenever I’m in pain, and I go to the academy or I teach, I know that it’s soothing me, and I do feel much better afterwards,” she said.
With 150 children on her books and absolutely no intentions of slowing down, Gemma now has her future sights set on continuing to help even more young people find their ‘voice’ through the newly branded Born2Sing Creative Arts.
She said: “I’m in a body I literally can’t control and I’m having to learn to accept what I can’t control, and if I’ve got a bad day I’ve got to stop and rest. Meditation helps, along with a positive mindset. But, ultimately, I’m determined and don’t want to give up. I want to show other people that, despite a disability, you can achieve and that’s a big part of what this latest chapter is all about.”
To find out more about Born2Sing Creative Arts or enquire about volunteering, visit: https://www.born2sing.co.uk/