Just start - ray’s story
I’ve been a professional musician for well over 10 years and during that time, studied a Masters at the Royal Academy of Music, and I’m now working toward a PhD in the well-being of musicians. However my journey has not been straightforward, and I’ve had many challenges to overcome along the way. As a result of this, Apollo was an idea or dream I’d had for a long time as a way of using my career in music, my own personal challenges and the tools and techniques I’ve learned along the way to help others achieve their goals.
To paint a picture of where it all started, let me take you back to 2013 during the Masters programme. I was living in London, and found the whole experience quite isolating until a friend started to introduce me to some amazing concert venues, restaurants and other arty places of interest. I believed that I needed to just knuckle down and get on with the course, as students did. London had so much to offer but I wasn’t making the most of it, instead, during my first year I found myself practicing violin for hours, attending classes and not a lot else.
As part of my Masters, I started a pathway class, a compulsory part of my qualification, which was a new class called ‘Enhanced Performance Techniques’ run by Sophie Langdon. She used a number of different well-being techniques to help Academy students confront stresses within the performance world, including stage anxiety and performance preparation.
I had responded very well to the class and felt much more confident and prepared for all aspects of performance, all because the classes taught me to take a step back and focus on myself, rather than allowing my mind to get swallowed by the room.
It was then in the summer of 2014, mid-way through my masters course I had a traumatic experience of breaking my wrist. As a violinist part way through a course, this was possibly the worst thing that could happen. Shortly after this, I had to have surgery on my tonsils.
I had to go back to the Academy with a cast on my arm and a fat throat, not knowing how I would be able to continue with my course. I was struggling with my mental health and I didn’t know what was around the next corner. This was a hugely stressful time.
The pathway class totally saved me as I used the techniques and the training to do as much mental practice and calming mindful exercises as I could, as for many months I was unable to physically perform. I was able to use tools such as visualization and meditation to control my anxiety and work towards the performances without physically playing. After many months of being out of action I finally pushed through the performance exams and graduated in July of 2015.
After graduation I was having further issues with my wrist and eventually opted for exploratory surgery with Dr John White in Harley Street. Again not an easy decision to make as it meant more time away from performing. However, I knew that with my new toolbox of mental techniques I would be able to cope.
One very long operation later, and weeks of recovery I was finally able to get my career back on track.
I gained the confidence to start performing again, and during this time continuously thinking of ways my experiences could potentially help others. The techniques I had learned needed research and so I enrolled at the University of Sussex on a PhD programme which I am currently working towards in collaboration with Sophie Langdon and the Royal Academy of Music.
Although there are unions for musicians which many professions don’t have access to, I felt that there was a need for a service to be able to offer a range of holistic support to musicians.
Time went on, and I was working as a peripatetic teacher in Chichester. The idea of Apollo never left my mind. It was just a matter of how to get started. I’d decided to just focus on my PhD and trust that I would know when the right time to start would be.
It was then in September 2021 I had a lesson enquiry from Emily who actually lived opposite my old home. In lessons Emily and I would chat, and it turned out we both had shared interest in holistic therapies, yoga and alternative health. Emily is a coach, and has a business so we would talk about future prospects and where we both hope to be in a number of years. I told Emily about my ideas for Apollo and she asked ‘why haven’t you started yet’?
I gave the excuse about my PhD, and without knowing it Emily then gave me a sneaky coaching session. By the end of the lesson we had set up the business.
What began as a music lesson, resulted in a business.
Apollo will officially launch in September 2022.
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