“My name is Lashayah Byfield and I am a Vocal Tutor at XYZ Music Academy. Singing has been my muse and a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I listened to a lot of Motown and 60s Soul, as well as 90s Reggae and Pop ballads. The vocalists that inspired me during my youth include big names such as: Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Beyonce and Jazmine Sullivan. 

In 2013, I joined Spotlight Musical Theatre School and found my confidence performing in amateur variety shows. Although I love musical theatre and the freedom it gave me to perform as fictional characters, I’ve always been curious to find my own sound and to see how far I could push my musical ability. In 2014, I began to compete in singing competitions such as Open Mic Uk and Teenstar Uk. I made it to multiple grand finals over the 3 years that I competed and was granted the opportunity to perform across the country. 

For school, I attended Waddesdon Secondary school and was always found taking part in school shows, festivals and assemblies. During my time there I had the pleasure of being casted for main amateur roles such as Annie and Mary Poppins. During this time, I was also very active outside of school, teaching dance to the younger students at Spotlight Musical Theatre. As well as joining a London-Based theatre company called The British Theatre Academy where i was given the opportunity to work with many theatre industry professionals such as Cameron Mackintosh for the cast recording of Oliver Jr (playing Mrs. Hatchett) and Westend Celebs such as Marisha Wallace, James Taylor and Rachel John during the Concert performance of the Award-Winning Show The Color Purple. During my years at school, I also had the opportunity to work professionally amongst a student band where we played as an opening act for British music collective Soul||Soul.

At age 16, I went to the prestigious Urdang Academy in London to continue my studies in theatre. I trained in dance (ballet, tap, jazz, street and others), musical theatre vocals and acting. I graduated from The Urdang College with a distinction in my Level 3 Cambridge Technical Diploma. Following that, I made the decision to take a step back from theatre and focus on my career as a solo Soul / RnB artist. 

I attended The Academy of Contemporary Music for university where I specialised in Rnb, Soul and Funk vocals. During my time at university, I found a new passion for songwriting and began writing my own original tracks such as Chamomile. I also had the pleasure of collaborating with my peers in genres such as Rock, Drum and Bass, Jungle and Reggae which unlocked a world of new stylistic choices for me.

At age 20, I continue to work as a professional vocalist performing at functions around the London and local area. My favourite part of being a musician is being able to collaborate with others and learn from a wide variety of styles in order to incorporate into my sound, continuing to expand my skill set.”