Talented musician Laura Doggett has said she “felt like a student all over again” when she returned to the City of Bath College earlier this week, where her music career began.
The 21-year-old singer-songwriter returned to the college to inspire music students to follow their dreams.
It was the first time Laura had returned to her old classrooms since completing her Level 3 Extended Diploma in Music in 2012.
Laura, who is signed to record label RCA, performed a couple of songs and talked about how she has pursued a music career for two and a half years ago.
She has recently been tipped for the top by Jools Holland and her song Old Faces featured on ITV’s Broadchurch trailer.
She is often played on Radio 1 and has also been listed on Spotify’s Spotlight on 2015 list featuring artists likely to do well this year.
A clearly excited Laura said: “I’ve got great memories of being at College, I absolutely loved it; it was amazing.
“It feels really nice to be back. It feels like I’m a student all over again, I feel like someone is going to tell me what to do at any minute.
“I remember learning all about music history, I was also taught the ability to work with other people in a band, when I started College I just wanted to sit at my keys on my own.
“College really opened my eyes and so much of what I learnt I use on a daily basis.”
Laura performed her single Moonshine and another song called Sometimes, which was one of the first songs she wrote when she was studying for her GCSE’s.
As she performed to staff and students, she joked: “I’m more nervous than anything. This is my old base. This place has a knack of wrecking your confidence.”
Laura then answered questions from students and gave some practical advice about entering the music industry.
She told students that her big break was entering a music competition called the Next Brit Thing in March 2012 when she was still at City of Bath College.
She got through to the finals and caught the eye of music scouts while performing in London.
She told students: “Getting out there and getting your voice heard is the most important thing.
“Work up your contacts like you’ve never worked them before.
“The industry is really small; it doesn’t feel like it at first as you are introduced to so many people but after a while you see the same people and you get to know them.”
Laura explained she had to be “pleasantly stubborn” to follow her musical dream. Her advice to students was simple: “Don’t give up; a career in music can be a reality. Believe in yourself.”
Laura is currently working on her debut album and has the difficult task of choosing just 12 tracks from the 100 songs she’s written.
She said: “I just can’t make up my mind, every day I fall in and out of love with different songs.”
Laura says she “learnt how to entertain” and “win over the crowd” by supporting acts such as Brit award-winning singer John Newman.
Reviews of Laura in the national press have said she ‘signals a return to form for Britain’s female solo artists’ and ‘could well be a star by the summer.’
Laura has headline shows at The Birdcage in Bristol on March 19th and The Nest in Bath on March 20th and she encouraged students to audition to be her support act.
City of Bath College music course leader Clive Stocker said: “Laura was a really great student. She worked so hard in all areas of the course.
“She was always writing and performing, week in and week out, that was just the way she was, very determined.
“We’re so proud of everything she’s achieved and know that she thoroughly deserves every success.”
