Music can break down many barriers and unite creatives who share a passion for making something special, it can be a beautifully rich and diverse industry to work in.
However, from the outside looking in, it may feel like it can also be a difficult industry to break into. Bitesize has teamed up with BBC Music Introducing LIVE to find out how some big names from the world of music took their first steps to stardom.
In the fourth BBC Music Introducing LIVE Backstage session, our host, Jaguar caught up with DJ Jamz Supernova, singer and rapper, Biig Piig and broadcaster Rianne Thompson to chat about their role models, representation in the music industry and what they were like at school.
Jaguar
Hey everyone it's Jaguar here. I'm a DJ and broadcaster from BBC Music Introducing. I host BBC Introducing Dance every Sunday night on Radio One as well as introducing in Beds, Herts and Bucks. Thank you for joining us. This is the BBC Music Introducing LIVE Backstage area with BBC Bitesize. We're going to be talking to you guys all about careers in the creative and music industries. It's great to be here today. It's not just me. We've got some amazing guests. They're going to give us the lowdown on what they do and how they got where they are. So a big welcome to our panellists, Rianne Thompson, Jamz Supernova and Biig Piig. Let's go straight into it. Can you introduce yourselves and just say a little bit more about what you do? Rianne, we'll start with you.
Rianne Thompson
Hi, my name's Rianne Thompson and I'm a presenter and producer of BBC Music Introducing on Radio Tees.
Jaguar
Jamz?
Jamz Supernova
Hi, I'm Jamz Supernova. I'm a DJ and broadcaster on BBC Radio 1Xtra and I also own a label called Future Bounce.
Jaguar
And Biig Piig?
Biig Piig
Hi you, myname is Biig Piig and I… my name is not Biig Piig, my name is Jess but I go under Biig Piig. I'm a singer-songwriter… situation. Yeah.
Jaguar
So, let's dig a little bit deeper and get to know you a bit more. This question is for all of you. Who or what inspired you to do what you do? Let's start with Biig Piig.
Biig Piig
So I really think the inspiration for actually being able to do… I'm releasing music that I release… It definitely goes back to friends that I met at college. I think without them, I don't think I would have had the courage to release anything that I want to release. So big shout out to Lava La Rue and Mac Wetha both of them genuinely changed everything I think. Um, yeah. There was a… there was a period of time where I kind of forgot how much music got me through a lot of the tougher times and it was real… It was just a really important part of my life in general and they really helped to bring that back out of me arm and. Yeah, I think. Yeah, I owe them everything really yeah.
Jamz Supernova
Initially before I started anything I wanted to be a TV presenter. That was the first thing I… I thought of myself doing, but people like Trevor Nelson on The Lick, June Sarpong on T4 and then, Mickey Oliver. Um…
Jaguar
An icon.
Jamz Supernova
Seeing… Seeing those three people really was wow. They're… They're… They're… They're bold and they're funny and they're witty and they're really visible, really highly visible … people and then I guess on the radio front, obviously Trevor again, would definitely be someone that popped up, Gemma Kearney when she joined um… 1Xtra and… Yeah, I think it's me. It was kind of, like, almost when I was able to start working at the BBC. Being around all these people, that I'd listen to at home and just watching them. Being able to be in the room and watch people, I was just like OK, cool and watching and seeing how they're doing it. And it makes it seem more believable. It doesn't make it seem like this whole life away from what you can imagine listening at home. It feels like a big mountain that you're never going to get up, but by being able to see him, to watch it was that OK, it's doable. It's possible. Yeah (Jaguar), yeah nice (Biig Pig), yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Jaguar
Nice! And Rianne. What about you?
Rianne Thompson
So I didn't really know what I wanted to do until I went to Uni and kind of had the time to realise that there were other things I could do so like radio could be a job as something that I could actually do and get paid for. For quite a long time because I came from such a small, small seaside town. Those options, weren't really kind of an option, if you know what I mean, like, because I wasn't surrounded by music venues and like loads and loads of like creative people and it wasn't until I went to Uni and actually joined the student radio station "Fresh Air" where I met like my… my sort of people and then from then, it was kind of like… I always listened to the radio. I think some of the presenters that really stood out for me actually Sara Cox when she was on Radio One Breakfast because she's so northern and she was just like herself, um unapologetically… I just loved that, loved how great she was and like… So she was definitely one of the presenters that I used to listen to and absolutely love.
Jaguar
And off the back of that she let you… You also talked about having people you fell in love with or people you can look up to as role models. How important do you think it is to have like those people you can directly relate to in the industry and surrounding what you do and like Rianne, you mention Sara Cox and even hearing a northern voice on the radio, you were like why can't I do that?
Rianne Thompson
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I think it's so important to have those. Well, we're just talking about on the panel. It was really important for me to hear um um a northerner who was a woman, who was on national radio because I was like wow like this… This is… This is a thing. And it's something that you can strive for and yeah I think having those role models is so important because you take so much from them as well. Like… I listen now to shows and I'm like, wow, that was amazing presenting. I am going to like write that down and get my notebook and I've just listened to this and just listed that podcast. And, yeah. I think you're always like inspired by the people that you kind of wanna… the job that you would like to do of theirs or something similar. So I think role models like continue throughout, throughout your career as you go. Super important.
Jamz Supernova
I guess, just to add, it's really important to see, I think… People won't understand it, you know how you say, like you have to see it to believe that you can do it. That's why representation is so important and often people would be like well, why, surely you could just do it if you… even if you haven't seen it and just be bold enough, but it's like… it's something in your psyche, in terms of seeing it in front of you and becoming tangible. It doesn't matter however you may be marginalised you know in… in any way, shape or form, seeing someone that might be from that marginalised community in a place where you want to be makes it feel like yeah I could do that. Maybe yeah. Why? Why? Why can't I be an Irish R&B Pop star, you know what I mean or a northern… northern broadcaster or black female presenter. Why not? Like if you don't see it then you know you'll have to be very strong of mind to think that you could do it. And they're the people that had done it. The people that paved the way…
Jaguar
Yeah. You guys as well in what you do is going to inspire the next generation coming through as well. So, yeah representation is great and I wanna hear what you guys were like. Jamz, we'll come to you first. What were you like at school?
Jamz Supernova
I was such, I was such a nerd. I am still a nerd. I say that now with pride because you know that whenever you read like, um. You know, whenever you read like people, you know, interviews of them… "I hated school. School wasn't for me." I loved school.
Jaguar
Ah ah.
Jamz Supernova
I absolutely loved it. I was the girl that would cry if I got one wrong spelling wrong in the spelling test. Yeah, but when I was… I used Bitesize, which is so bizarre because you know I'm 30 now so fifteen years ago, I lived on Bitesize (…) I'd print out all these for my GCSES. I printed out… I made all these… I got… Basically what happened? I got a bit too obsessed with my GCSES. And I… The only way that I can remember stuff was to write stuff out. if I write something with my own hand then I remember, I can remember it. So I basically was rewriting everything out and I had my room cupboard with all these mind maps… all of these like…
Jaguar
You're one of those people.
Jamz Supernova
Yeah, one of those people… then I would transfer it onto a powerpoint and then I would take it to school with me and then I started giving those Powerpoint to kids. Oh Jamz, do you think we could get your science powerpoint (…) Yes, take it like, yeah! I did put a lot of pressure on myself and possibly a little bit too much pressure if I look back. All I will say is that it taught me that you can only do the best that you can do, right? So, for me the best that I could do was to… to write things out or to do… to do the process that helped me to learn and everyone's completely different. And regardless, my thing was that, regardless of the outcome and whether I get those grades or wether I don't, I would have known in myself that I would have done everything that I need to do to be the best, you know what I mean? Regardless of what the outcome is that I've done what I need to do. And I think I've always sort of taken that sort of into any… in all my jobs now. I guess…
Jaguar
Biig Piig, same question to you, what were you like at school and any subjects in particular that helped you?
Biig Piig
Yeah, I mean. I was really quite awkward, like really quiet. I think it's just because I'd moved schools so many times by that point, I was just so… there's no point trying to make friends with anyone like this is just gonna be temporary, so I think I got very… quite quiet… chatty every now and then. Not really. And then I spent all of my time in the music room. I just loved that music room so much. Shout out Miss Nicholls for letting me do that. She's amazing. There was literally a case like, I feel like I finally found my voice in that school with music around that time and it just felt like that's the only place I wanted to be all the time during lunch, during… after school, before school. Um, and yeah. I think that really definitely shaped… shaped a lot of my love for it as well.
Jaguar
Um Rianne what about you? What were you like at school?
Rianne Thompson
I had some bumpy rides at school. Mainly because I was too chatty in class, which was not a good thing when I was supposed to be doing my work. So… Although I love school as well like I basically loved it because I could see my friends all day, every day and I was like this is just great. And then when it came to like year nine, ten, eleven. I like really knuckled down and studied quite lot. I just had this moment where I was like I just really need to prove to these teachers, actually, I can do this and I am going to like, get really good grades. So I just switched it. Like, I did literally a one eighty. I was like right and then I just… at school, I just absolutely loved Art, Drama and Textiles like we were a Technology school, we had to do Technology so I chose to do Textiles, which was like sewing and designing your own stuff and those three subjects for me like really saved me because in Drama and Art I felt like I could just be myself and just like, get rid of all the energy, like, be really silly, all like really creative, like I love painting and that I could just spend hours drawing and I fell like with those subjects for me, there wasn't as… it wasn't as strict, so like, it was like right, the project is this or come up with this idea, go! and like that for me later on in life really helped because when you're in a job, you don't have a step-by-step guide like there's no step-by-step guide "This is how you get into radio" or "This is how you get into the music industry" or "This is how you become a musician."
Jaguar
Thanks guys, sound advice there. What is your message for anyone trying to pursue music in this current climate? Who wants to go first here?
Jamz Supernova
I'll start. I would just say, you know, it's a strange time, but it's like the world is paused and it's kind of like everybody is in the exact same position. Your favourite artist to the most unknown artist is kind of almost at like level zero. So this is if you are an up-and-coming artist, this could really be the year for you to weave in and snatch the crown and make yourself heard so I would just say start, pull it out. You just you know it's the year of just doing and not thinking and not thinking about the result or the impact like. If you make a song and you like it, something Jess said in the previous panel and your gut says that is a good song, put it out if you don't like it in six weeks take it back down. But just give it a shot, that's what I would say and have a little… Have a little plan together right over… You've got X amount of time of the year left, you know. Are you going to drop one song? Do one visual that you might shoot on an iPhone you know. Just have a little plan in place and just go for it. That's what I'd say.
Jaguar
Oh, yeah. Great. Jess?
Biig Piig
I feel like when I started out writing other beats and everything else I found that SoundCloud was really an incredible place for musicians to link up and work together. So I think in the middle of a pandemic when there's kind of no events going on and kind of the spaces where maybe you would meet other creatives. There still are ways to do that so I feel like… Even there's a beat that you like on like Soundcloud, message and see if you can work something out where you put something over it or whatever else or make music via the internet, do you know what I mean, because just because things are on pause, it doesn't mean that things have to stop.
Jaguar
Oh, thanks and Riannne?
Rianne Thompson
Yeah, I think. Just do it like just… If you're in a creative place and you feel like you know, you like, this is what you want to do right now then just absolutely go for it like, why not? Life, for example, BBC Introducing I mean every week, thirty six shows… Yeah (panel). Every week I found a new artist of ten and we're playing them out on the show. So it's like… and also I will say there is an artist that I had never heard of before, she uploaded and she recorded all of her stuff on her phone and like it's got this really nice, like energy to it and like this quality to it that… It just sounds great. And Introducing, that's what it's for like, we're here to play music. So, yeah. Anybody that is looking into, or feeling a little bit like I don't really know what's going to happen, we will come back… the festivals 100%, like it will come back and so just use this time to your advantage and like enjoy, enjoy it as well, like be as creative as you want. Yeah, that's what I would say if people are thinking oh I'm not sure. Just go for it.
Jaguar
Yeah. Thank you guys. Really great advice from all of you. That brings us to the end of our session and hope you guys watching found it really interesting, I did. I thought it was really inspiring as well. So thank you guys so much. Remember BBC Bitesize is here to help you guys. If you have any questions about school, future jobs, exams, revision, you can find us at BBC Bitesize or use the #BBCBitesize on the socials. To our lovely panellists Thank you so much and we'll see you soon. Bye
Jamz Supernova
Jamz Supernova is a BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ, where she hosts a weekly show unearthing and showcasing new talent. Jamz has also launched her own record label, signing the most exciting up-and-coming artists.
However you may be marginalised… seeing someone from that marginalised community in a place where you want to be makes it feel like, "yeah, I could do that." – Jamz Supernova
Biig Piig
Singer and rapper Jessica Smyth is better known by her stage name Biig Piig. Jess grew up in Spain and Ireland, before moving to London and meeting fellow musician Lava La Rue and joining the NiNE8 Collective. Biig Piig has since gone on to release several EPs*, with her music having had millions of views and streams on YouTube and Spotify.
I spent all of my time in the music room… I finally found my voice in that school with music, and that was the only place I wanted to be… that really shaped my love for it (music). - Biig Piig
Rianne Thompson
Rianne Thompson is a presenter and producer of BBC Introducing for BBC Radio Tees, playing new and emerging music. Rianne's broadcaster influences include Sarah Cox, Jo Whiley and Annie Mac.
It was really important for me to hear a northerner who was a woman on national radio (Sarah Cox)… having those role models is so important. – Rhianne Thompson
BBC Music Introducing LIVE ran from Saturday 24th October – Saturday 31st October 2020 and Bitesize brought you five backstage discussions with special guests.
One of the UK’s biggest, fastest-growing and most exciting music industry events, BBC Music Introducing LIVE supports and inspires the next generation of industry leaders, artists and creatives. The 2020 event took place digitally for the first time, with a week-long programme bringing audiences an array of live performances, masterclasses, talks and interactive sessions featuring high profile BBC Music Introducing alumni, industry experts and special guests.
To find out more details and watch all the panel talks, check out the BBC Music Introducing LIVE page.
*EP: Extended Play (it contains more tracks than a single but not enough to be considered as an album)
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