Matthew Holloway-Strong

I work around the United Kingdom as a freelance singer and performer. I regularly perform as part of professional performances in London and the North-east of the UK. I have performed twice at London International Choral Festival and have recorded an album with the Phoenix Consort as a freelance tenor. This has taught me how to be self-motivated and proactive in attaining gigs whilst also performing to the best of my ability under different directors. This allowed me to become more versatile as I had to adapt to my surroundings in order to perform at my best.

I worked for a year as a Tenor Choral Scholar alongside my university degree. At Durham Cathedral, I regularly sang 8 or more services a week with choristers and the Lay Clerks. Here, the expectation was to perform to the highest professional standard under the pressure of an audience on a regular basis. As part of this job, I also taught the choristers music theory, helping them to reach their ABRSM music theory grades. At this job I learnt a lot about performing under pressure and meeting deadlines through only getting one opportunity to get the music right in the performance and the necessity for adequate preparation.

During my time as the floor leader, I led a team of 6 others to create an efficient and productive workspace. I always made sure that the quota was completed by the end of the day and more was completed if the quota was low. I also liaised with delivery drivers and companies to make sure that deliveries and products would reach customers on time. This job gave valuable lessons in leadership of people my age and older alongside how to prioritise in a business scenario.