Singer, songwriter, cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson is the rare exception to the rule that classical and alternative RnB music cannot successfully coexist. Graduating with a first from both Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and the Manhattan School of Music, Ayanna was a participant in the London Symphony Orchestra’s Panufnik Young Composers Scheme and became an Emerging Artist in Residence at London’s Southbank Centre. She was a featured artist with Courtney Pine’s Afropeans: Jazz Warriors and became the only non-American to win Amateur Night Live at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NYC.
During my childhood in North London I studied classical piano and later picked up the cello in secondary school. My grandparents came to the UK from Jamaica as part of the Windrush Generation in the late 1950s, upon invitation from the British Government to rebuild a post-war country. At home with my family and amongst my friends I was steeped in RnB, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Pop and Reggae music alongside my classical training, forming the foundation of my musical identity. The major turning point in becoming a professional creative came when I studied Classical Composition at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. That was where I started to find my voice as both a composer and singer-songwriter.
To earn a little money on the side during my studies, I hustled a gig at a local Caribbean Restaurant (Windies Cove), playing well known tunes and original songs accompanied by my cello (Reuben) whilst the diners dined. Those weekly performances sowed the seeds for many creative opportunities to come, and started the journey for my artistic output as a live performer, combining vocals and cello. Following my time at Trinity I moved to NYC to study a Masters in composition at The Manhattan School of Music.
During that time I continued to blossom as a composer and triumphed as a performer, becoming the only non-American to win the entire season of ‘Amateur Night Live’ at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, performing my own song ‘Ain’t I A Woman?’ which uses the famous speech (same title) made by Sojourner Truth in Ohio, 1851. Winning the competition was another turning point that solidified my decision to purpose my interest in performing professionally. With the prize money I received, I recorded my first EP Truthfully , marking the start of my artist journey. Since my training I have been straddling my career as both a performer and composer, exploring my unique sound as a singer and cellist, playing my cello in a myriad of ways – percussively, melodically, like a guitar, a double bass and a drum.
“Pursuing a unique pathway presents challenges all the time… So the best tools I have found in navigating those challenges have been investments in developing myself personally – strengthening my mindset, clarifying my purpose, continuing to up level my skills and staying true to who I am.”
I’ve also had the joy of collaborating with a range of artists including composer/producer Nitin Sawhney, saxophonist Courtney Pine, rapper Akala, sitarist Anoushka Shankar and several orchestras including The London Symphony Orchestra and the Gürzenich Orchester. I feel that I am creating my own multi-genre musical pathway. It was important to me, to amplify and synthesise my values, my culture and my preferences as many artists have done before me. On my journey, I’ve been particularly inspired by Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Bach, Bjork, Bob Marley, Erykah Badu, Sting and Bill Withers. Artists with strong messages that have embodied their own unique voices in powerful ways.
Pursuing a unique pathway presents challenges all the time. From day to day situational challenges like stressful soundchecks (when live gigs were happening), to facing stereotyping from others (being an African-Caribbean woman who plays cello), to the difficulties people have categorising my sound since I blend lots of styles together. Most of the challenges are things outside of myself that I cannot control. So the best tools I have found in navigating those challenges have been investments in developing myself personally – strengthening my mindset, clarifying my purpose, continuing to up level my skills and staying true to who I am. It’s precisely my unique qualities that have l ed me to enjoy so many extraordinary experiences including founding my own record label – Hill and Gully Records, releasing 4 EPs (Truthfully, Black Panther, Ella Reuben & Ay, Rise Up) and a full length album (Road Runner).
One of the most powerful things I’ve come to realise on my journey is that the creative process is something I build into my life through cultivating healthy daily habits including yoga, meditation, practicing my instruments, writing songs, composing and journaling. My creativity is not outside of myself, it’s a flow that I can tap into every day and the more often I tune in, the more connected to my soul and my purse I’ll be. My intention and purpose as an artist is to bring joy to myself and my audience and to shine a light, inspiring us all to tap into our unique creativity and lead authentically creative lives.
