“As Real As Me”: ESC Music Practitioner and Alumna Releases Debut EP
Josie Gillitt, Vocational Skills Practitioner in Music at East Sussex College and a proud alumna, has released her debut EP, As Real As Me, now streaming on Spotify.
Created during her final year of her Music degree at the College, the EP is a raw and relatable collection inspired by her own experiences.
Josie told the College, “The themes of my EP are as it's titled, ‘As real as me’. I really wanted to make it raw and relatable, and all the songs are inspired by my own real experiences, thoughts, and feelings.”
Reflecting on the release, Josie said, “I was really excited to release my EP after working so hard on it in my final year of the HE course and being a member of staff at the college now is amazing because I'm constantly surrounded by like-minded people who are just as excited as me!
“Students have told me they have listened and have been very kind, giving me feedback, which is really nice to be around and have that extra bit of support.”
Although Josie does not currently teach, her role as a technician within the department enables her to stay closely connected to students while continuing to develop her own music.
“My day to day role involves recommending and loaning out equipment like microphones to the students, helping out with any technical issues in the studios and also giving any help and advice when I can!”
Josie added, “Having done both the college and HE courses myself, I feel like I can give helpful advice and even comfort when students need it ,which is probably my favorite part of the job.”
Her time as a student at the College played a significant role in shaping her confidence and career direction.
“I was given so much encouragement throughout my time at the college; it’s helped me to be me. I’d say it’s really shaped my career. I used to lack confidence in myself but being around musicians with the same goal as me, and teachers who I could always tell were actually excited for me and gave me so much encouragement, really pushed me to do my best - it’s been a massive confidence boost.”
Josie added, “Without them, I wouldn't have achieved my degree with first class honours.”
Reflecting on the value of studying creative subjects - a message that aligns strongly with the College’s ongoing Creative Futures work and events such as Festival of Futures, which champion creative career pathways - Josie is passionate about encouraging others to follow their interests and recognise the breadth of opportunities available within the creative industries.
“Some people might not agree with pursuing creative subjects with the risk of there not being space for career progression but in my opinion, you only live once and you might as well give your passion a go,” Josie told the College. “I don't know many people that are in the same career now as when they very first started in education, so it's not like you're signing a contract to only pursue that subject for the rest of your life, you have no idea where life will take you and you will always have options!”
Looking ahead, Josie is considering teacher training alongside her current role and continuing to build her music career.
“I'd love to stay in the department and teach the next generations about my passion. I'm particularly interested in teaching performance and songwriting, so hopefully that can be in my future. And musically, I'm writing some more songs at the moment and will be working on a bigger album!”