From West End pit orchestras to solo trumpeter/singer/songwriter …
Who are you? “I’m a professional trumpet player, who has always loved to sing, and has more recently added songwriting into the mix as well.”
Why trumpet? “My Mum told me I’d never be able to get a note out of a trumpet … because she couldn’t. Well that was a red rag to a bull although I can’t have been more than 4 or 5 at the time! I didn’t get my hands on a trumpet until I was 12 but I never forgot that inadvertent challenge.”
Why singing? “Because I can’t help myself.”
Why songwriting? “Hmmm … I always liked the idea, but thought it was something “other” people did. When I first decided to try writing, suddenly the washing up became immensely appealing, and jobs that had hung around waiting to be done for months suddenly became “urgent”!!”
Why trumpet? “My Mum told me I’d never be able to get a note out of a trumpet … because she couldn’t. Well that was a red rag to a bull although I can’t have been more than 4 or 5 at the time! I didn’t get my hands on a trumpet until I was 12 but I never forgot that inadvertent challenge.”
Why singing? “Because I can’t help myself.”
Why songwriting? “Hmmm … I always liked the idea, but thought it was something “other” people did. When I first decided to try writing, suddenly the washing up became immensely appealing, and jobs that had hung around waiting to be done for months suddenly became “urgent”!!”
Then in 2006 during one of the worst personal crises of her life, Avelia was invited, by “Big George” Webley, to feature on a BBC radio programme. One snag … the series was all about musicians and their original music. She had none. He wanted her on anyway … Wow! Further investigation revealed she had approximately 1 month to come up with some material.
So despite my personal life being in complete and utter chaos, I suddenly found the urge to write, and within a month wrote several songs. I even managed to write words for a tune I’d written a decade or more before – “Thinking of You”, about my Dad, who was killed in a car crash shortly before my 4th birthday. It was always meant to be a song, but it took that time pressure for me to be able to find the words. Another tune – “Just Contented” – came to me while I was riding my bike in the local countryside, with my small son on the back. I only had a very basic mobile phone at the time with no way to record anything. I didn’t want to “lose” the tune so rang my answering machine at home and sang the tune down the line. The broadcast was great fun … but afterwards the songs had to take a back seat”
Over the next few years, whilst single-handedly raising her kids, Avelia started co-writing with a local (Mum) friend, Jill Neenan, whenever time permitted.
“The odd couple of hours we’d find here and there were very cathartic and great fun … and after several years, developed into our 2-woman show “Ifs, Buts & Babies”, about the “Delights & Dilemmas” of parenthood.”
The songs from “Ifs, Buts & Babies” were released on CD in 2012, and the 2 women toured the show (which required them both to act, sing and dance – as well as trumpet for Avelia, of course) to various parts of England for several years, making audiences roar with laughter.
More, mostly positive, life changes followed. But there remained a “persistent nagging feeling that I really needed to release the songs I’d written for the radio broadcast before I could move on. One very helpful new husband – I’ve never met such a “do”-er in my life! – got to work on the tech side (website, album artwork etc., etc.) and I finally released “From the Shadows” in 2019.” Avelia was also delighted that her instrumental, “Contemplating Life”, included on the album, reached the finals of the UK Songwriting Contest 2019.
Since then Avelia has indeed moved on, writing many more songs, which she plans to record and release.
The events of 2020 saw Avelia transmuting the complete loss of performing work, into Facebook Live gigs, which in turn has allowed her to begin growing a following, and developing her individual style as a trumpeter/singer/songwriter. And with a continuing lack of many of her previous performance opportunities in 2021, Avelia has spent some considerable time learning to record herself. In autumn 2021, Avelia released 2 singles – “A Musician’s Plight” and “Inspire Me (Boom Boom Ba)” - written, performed and recorded entirely by herself … with the addition of her daughter, Laura Moisey-Gray, playing viola on the former.
In her career BC (before children), Avelia worked as a freelance, professional trumpet player, following study at the Royal Academy of Music. With eclectic musical tastes, the opportunity to play a wide variety of music, and musical styles, was very enjoyable – from West End musicals (including Jolson, Calamity Jane, Cats, Starlight Express, Oliver & many more); touring with Marti Webb, and Jane MacDonald; classical orchestras; jazz, funk, soca, Latin, soul and function bands; through to her own enterprises – No Problem (jazz fusion band); The Little Big Band (jazz duo with Bruce Boardman); and even a classical partnership with her pianist brother, Alvin Moisey. A highlight of the latter was giving the World Premiere of the Sonata for Trumpet & Piano by Ian Hughes at the International Trumpet Guild Conference in 2002.
Over the next few years, whilst single-handedly raising her kids, Avelia started co-writing with a local (Mum) friend, Jill Neenan, whenever time permitted.
“The odd couple of hours we’d find here and there were very cathartic and great fun … and after several years, developed into our 2-woman show “Ifs, Buts & Babies”, about the “Delights & Dilemmas” of parenthood.”
The songs from “Ifs, Buts & Babies” were released on CD in 2012, and the 2 women toured the show (which required them both to act, sing and dance – as well as trumpet for Avelia, of course) to various parts of England for several years, making audiences roar with laughter.
More, mostly positive, life changes followed. But there remained a “persistent nagging feeling that I really needed to release the songs I’d written for the radio broadcast before I could move on. One very helpful new husband – I’ve never met such a “do”-er in my life! – got to work on the tech side (website, album artwork etc., etc.) and I finally released “From the Shadows” in 2019.” Avelia was also delighted that her instrumental, “Contemplating Life”, included on the album, reached the finals of the UK Songwriting Contest 2019.
Since then Avelia has indeed moved on, writing many more songs, which she plans to record and release.
The events of 2020 saw Avelia transmuting the complete loss of performing work, into Facebook Live gigs, which in turn has allowed her to begin growing a following, and developing her individual style as a trumpeter/singer/songwriter. And with a continuing lack of many of her previous performance opportunities in 2021, Avelia has spent some considerable time learning to record herself. In autumn 2021, Avelia released 2 singles – “A Musician’s Plight” and “Inspire Me (Boom Boom Ba)” - written, performed and recorded entirely by herself … with the addition of her daughter, Laura Moisey-Gray, playing viola on the former.
In her career BC (before children), Avelia worked as a freelance, professional trumpet player, following study at the Royal Academy of Music. With eclectic musical tastes, the opportunity to play a wide variety of music, and musical styles, was very enjoyable – from West End musicals (including Jolson, Calamity Jane, Cats, Starlight Express, Oliver & many more); touring with Marti Webb, and Jane MacDonald; classical orchestras; jazz, funk, soca, Latin, soul and function bands; through to her own enterprises – No Problem (jazz fusion band); The Little Big Band (jazz duo with Bruce Boardman); and even a classical partnership with her pianist brother, Alvin Moisey. A highlight of the latter was giving the World Premiere of the Sonata for Trumpet & Piano by Ian Hughes at the International Trumpet Guild Conference in 2002.
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