Under the guidance of Student Experience Co-ordinator Greg Archer from the WaterBear Careers and Industry team,  WaterBear Sheffield students James Brown, Katesley Arriola, Lilly Hill, Harry Wright and Leah Mclean were enlisted by Sheffield City Council to perform at the Christmas Festive Weekend, only three months after opening our new Sheffield campus in the city.  

The event, where the students were also paid to perform, was set within the iconic Moor Quarter of Sheffield. As a highly anticipated occasion in the region, the festive market attracts thousands of visitors annually, with last year’s attendees reaching an incredible 40,000 people.  

Greg Archer commented on the opportunity: “It was an honour for WaterBear to take centre stage at the Sheffield Xmas Fest, performing in the city centre with the amazing talents of our students. Being part of this festive celebration not only provided a unique performance opportunity but also served as a spotlight for our exceptionally talented students.”  

Live performance experience

Reflecting on her experience, Lilly Hill, a student on the BA (Hons) Professional Music (Songwriting) degree, shared her journey of overcoming challenges. Despite the elements working against her, Lilly emphasised the significance of live experiences, stating, “I think live experiences are so important to musicians. It’s one of the best feelings being able to perform live, and to have those experiences is so beneficial.” 

Overcoming performance anxiety 

Guitarist James Brown who featured alongside Sheffield based rapper Kid Blu3 who are both studying BA (Hons) Professional Music (Performance), highlighted the importance of gaining live experiences to combat performance anxiety. He shared, “Being a session musician and guitarist for Kid Blu3 really helped me to develop my playing skills and playing songs that aren’t really a style I would usually choose for myself!” 

Stepping out of comfort zone 

Singer-songwriter Katesley Arriola, who is also studying on the BA (Hons) Professional Music (Songwriting) degree the opportunity to perform at the Christmas Market was transformative. She expressed, “Moving to Sheffield, I haven’t really been out there and done many gigs but being able to do this performance really helped me step out of my comfort zone, and I really enjoyed it.” 

WaterBear- The College of Music

WaterBear offers BA (Hons) degree and master’s courses made for today’s musicians, artists and industry professionals. Our colleges are based in the heart of Brighton and Sheffield, two amazing UK cities with incredible musical roots and heritage. We also have a range of online distance learning courses too. 

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WaterBear is a College of Falmouth University, a pioneer in creative industries education, entrepreneurship and innovation. Run by musicians, for musicians we are about smaller class sizes, flexible course delivery, bespoke one-to-one mentoring and exclusive work experience and career development opportunities.