I perform and teach professionally and compose on multiple instruments in London and Europe as a classical, folk and jazz musician, and play to many different types of audiences - in the hope of spreading some happiness.

SINGER-SONGWRITER AND MULTI-INSTRUMENTAL MATERIAL

• I’m creating an improvisation / composition a day to go with my art and nature films on my YouTube channel, Gemma Boyd: Musician, Writer & Artist (March 2023 to date)

• I played acoustic guitar and cello improvisations in the dark on my driveway for the good of my soul and to bring me closer to my community (November and December 2020)

• Since the COVID-19 crisis, I’ve been performing concerts on guitar, cello, recorder, mouth organ, violin and viola from an isolated spot in Claybury Park, Ilford, to lift the spirits of passers-by (March 2020 to date)

• I sang my own maritime-themed songs, accompanying myself on various instruments at Thameside Folk, Thurrock Thameside Nature Park (June 2019)

FOLK - DOUBLE BASS 

• Solo and ensemble floor spots at Romford Folk Club, where I was awarded 'Best Female Multi-instrumentalist of the Year, 2017 and 2018' (2017 - 2020)

• Feature night at Romford Folk Club (included singing and playing jazz standards on double bass, Irish fiddle tunes, chanson with accordion and reciting self-penned poetry - 10th October 2017)

 POP - DOUBLE BASS 

• Professional music video of musician, radio presenter and charity challenger, Shaun Buswell's arrangement of 'Geronimo' by Sheppard for Decca (January 2015)

CLASSICAL - DOUBLE BASS

• Verdi's 'Requiem' - Chichester Cathedral

• Lewes Concert Orchestra

• John Rutter's 'Birthday Madrigals' with Brighton Chamber Choir (2008 - Brighton Festival)

• 'Il Travatore' headed by Italian soprano, Irene Cerbonicini and conducted by Simon Gray (May 2011 - Brighton Fringe Festival)

• The University of Sussex Symphony Orchestra

• Classycool (2009 - Covent Garden, London)

• The 12.12.12 Underground Orchestra Challenge (January 2013 - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire)

• Woodford Symphony Orchestra (2017)

MUSICAL THEATRE - DOUBLE BASS

• Gilbert and Sullivan operas - Chichester Amateur Operatic Society

• 'The Merry Widow' - Littlehampton Player's Operatic Society

• Simon Gray and Carole Todd's Music 2000 production of 'The Mikado' (2009 - Barn Theatre, Southwick)

• Brighton Theatre Group's 'Beauty and the Beast' (June 2010 - Theatre Royal, Brighton)

• 'The Merry Widow,' 'The Magic Flute,' 'Titanic - The Musical' and 'Die Fledermaus,' conducted by Simon Gray - Southwick Opera 

JAZZ - DOUBLE BASS IN ENGLAND

• Walsall Youth Jazz Orchestra

• Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra

• Brighton Jazz Co-op

• 1930s and '40s swing jazz and blues five-piece band called The Priory Street Stardusters (Piers Clark - gtr., Annie Schutt - vc., Daniel Rehahn - tbn., and John Pargeter - sax. and cl.) which gigged at local farmers' markets, pubs, jazz clubs and private functions (2007 - 2012 - Brighton, the South East and France)

• Art Themen Quartet (July 2011 - 27th Birmingham International Jazz and Blues Festival)

• Gigs with Ann Odell (pf. and vc.)

• Sussex Jazz Orchestra big band

• Straight No Chaser big band (Brighton)

• Bass, Bone & Blue (Piers Clark - gtr. and Daniel Rehahn - tbn.)

• The Pete Godfrey and Pals Trio (Pete Godfrey - pf. and Roy Leith - sax.)

• The Brighton Jazz Apples / Remember April bossa nova band (Matt Wall - gtr., Ela Southgate - vc. plus Robin Watt and Roy Gee - sax.)

• Just Friends Trio (Terry Whitney - pf. and Norman Evans - sax.)

• Gemma's Jazz (Piers Clark - gtr. and George N. Paterson - tpt. and vc.)

• The Swing Thing Duo (Matt Wall - gtr.)

• The Vintage Hot Five 1920s and '30s jazz quintet (Andy Woon - tpt., Johnny Muxlow - perc. and George Levy -cl.)

• The Tom Creed Trio (Diego Parada - gtr. and Tom Creed - sax. and cl.)

• Early-Bird Special western swing and cowboy jazz band (lead by Piers Clark - gtr. and vc.)

• Tangerine Duo (Nils Solberg - gtr. and vc.)

• Bass & Bone Duo (Daniel Rehahn - tbn.)

• 'Poetry In The Park' (August 2011 - Coronation Gardens, Leyton, East London)

• Solo double bass set (which included singing and bowing) for older people at Oakfield Lodge (January 2012 - Ilford, East London)

• Jazz double bass private tuition (2016 - 2018)

JAZZ - DOUBLE BASS IN PARIS (2010 - 2012)

• Solo double bass set outside the Pompidou Centre

• Busked with Daniel Rehahn (tbn.) on the terraces of Le Nouveau Carillon and Le Saint Jean, Abbesses, Montmartre, and on a bridge over the Seine near Notre Dame

• Jam session at Autour De Midi... Et Minuit, rue Lepic, Montmartre, headed by the Laurent Epstein Trio

• Duet version of 'Autumn Leaves' with Riccardo Del Fra (Chet Baker's double bassist) at CNSMDP (the Paris Conservatoire) 

• Gig with songwriter, Richard Lewis's band at Les Disquaires, Bastille

• Solo double bass set at Chez Adel, rue de la Grange-aux-Belles

• Trio with Peter Conua - vn., and Eirik Zahl - gtr. and vc., playing klesma, Russian, Scottish and Irish folk, gypsy jazz, polka, latin and jazz standards at Chez Adel, on the terraces of Montmartre, on the Paris Métro, Corcoran's Irish pub and Kakoo Bar in Montmartre

• Concerts at Chez Adel with songwriter and guitarist, Mateo, accordionist and vocalist, Clara Moreau and guitarist and singer, Claudio Zaretti

• Jam sessions at La Miroiterie artist's squat, rue Ménilmontant, with Herman Mehari (tpt.) of contemporary jazz trio, Diverse, and at Hôtel d'Aubusson, rue Dauphine, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, with a jazz quartet headed by pianist-composer, Christian Brenner

• Concerts at Chez Adel with Mateo, Claudio Zaretti, jazz pianist Bernard Trillat, and pop and French song singer, Chloé Cassandre and band 

• Solo double bass set at Place des Abbesses, Montmartre

• Busked jazz standards with tenor saxophonist, Laurent Carrier, Montmartre

• Substitute double bassist with Louis Royer's French Canadian band, Cortezia

• Concert with the George Washingmachine Quartet at Caveau de la Huchette

• Concert of jazz standards at Chez Adel with Bernard Trillat (pf.)

• Duo on the terraces of Montmartre and at Place des Vosges with Peter Conua (vn.)

FOLK AND CLASSICAL - VIOLIN IN ENGLAND

• Solo violin set of French Canadian reels, Shetland reels and traditional Scots and Irish Hornpipe music all around London (2012 - 2013)

• Solo 'folk' violin set on London Underground as part of the London Underground Busking Scheme (2013 - 2017)

• Wedding gigs as a soloist at Brentwood Cathedral, Tithe Barn, Petersfield and at St. Dunstan in the East Church Garden, London, on 'folk and jazz' violin and piano accordion (2014)

• Floor spots at Romford Folk Club and joint winner of 'Scottish Night, 2017' (2017 - 2020)

• Irish folk session at The Nightingale pub, Wanstead (May 2017)

• Folk and classical violin private tuition (2017 - 2019)

• Docklands Maritime Festival with Mikanora, London (November 2017)

• Floor spots at Thameside Folk, Thurrock Thameside Nature Park (December 2018)

• ABRSM Grade 5 Violin private tuition (2018)

• Floor spot with sea shanty singing group, Hogeye Men, at the Horseshoe Inn, London (2019)

FOLK AND JAZZ - VIOLIN IN PARIS (2013 - 2019)

• Solo 'folk and jazz standards' violin set on the terraces of Montmartre, at Chez Adel (solo and with Claudio Zaretti - vc. and gtr.) and on the Paris Métro

• Concert at Le Zèbre dans le Patio with Bernard Trillat (pf.)

• Improvisation of raga with tablaist, Rizwan Foga

FOLK, CLASSICAL AND JAZZ - PIANO, PIANO ACCORDION AND MELODICA IN ENGLAND AND EUROPE

• Solo 'folk and jazz standards' piano accordion set all around London (2012 - 2013)

• Solo 'folk and jazz standards' piano accordion set in Montmartre at Chez Adel, Paris

• Solo 'folk and jazz standards' piano accordion and melodica sets on London Underground as part of the London Underground Busking Scheme (2013 - 2017)

• Floor spots at Romford Folk Club (2017 - 2020)

• Jazz, classical and folk piano private tuition (2017 - 2020)

• ABRSM Grade 4 Piano private tuition (2018)

• Private piano tuition as a part of GCSE Music (2018 - 2020)

• Solo 'jazz standards' melodica set in Griffin Park, Dublin (2020)

CLASSICAL GUITAR

• Classical guitar tuition for a boy with complex needs (2018)