{"id":2345,"date":"2024-05-25T10:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-25T09:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/feedbackmag.co.uk\/?p=2345"},"modified":"2024-05-31T14:09:10","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T13:09:10","slug":"reach-your-full-potential-mary-jess-leaverland-on-singing-competitions-and-making-the-most-of-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/feedbackmag\/2024\/05\/25\/reach-your-full-potential-mary-jess-leaverland-on-singing-competitions-and-making-the-most-of-success\/","title":{"rendered":"“Reach your full potential”: Mary-Jess Leaverland on singing competitions and making the most of success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One Direction, Leona Lewis<\/em><\/strong> and even Girls Aloud<\/em><\/strong>. Singing competitions within the UK have never failed to produce a plethora of talent over the years. But how about the Brits who have made a name for themselves competing abroad? Few musicians can boast such a varied, enthralling and internationally diverse career as Mary-Jess Leaverland<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, yet her unconventional ascent to fame symbolises how the secret to success may lie overseas.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From humble beginnings performing in pubs after school, to singing in front of an audience of 89,000 inside Wembley stadium, Mary-Jess attributes the catalyst for the meteoric rise to her victory on \u2018Min Xing Chang Fan Tian\u2019. Dubbed the \u2018Chinese X Factor\u2019 by the British press, the competition was the launchpad to the beginning of her success, hailing it for giving \u201cthe most incredible start to my career, so to imagine where I would be without doing it would be really hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living by the motto of \u201cmake the most of every single opportunity available to you\u201d, a phrase her mother promoted and instilled,  it was during her year abroad at University, living in China, where Mary-Jess struck singing gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mary-Jess holding trophy after winning Min Xing Chang Fan Tian. Credit: SWNS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI ended up going to explore a TV studio and through a crack in a door I could see a Chinese man singing his heart out on stage. As soon as I saw that I knew what that was, it was an audition and quite possibly the biggest, most amazing opportunity I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two hours and one spontaneous audition later, she secured a spot on the show that would ultimately change her life and kick start her music path across the globe. But what ensued was an intense and challenging three week period, performing every night in front of an audience of 70 million on Chinese television. Nevertheless, the hard work and determination paid off, c\\with the culmination of the experience being her victory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had to turn to the other contestant and ask, did you win or did I? I\u2019d been studying Chinese for a little while, but I thought maybe I\u2019d misheard. After I\u2019d realised, I felt a lot of excitement and relief, mainly because with the prize money I could afford a flight home to England for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such is the influence of international competitions; they can offer the potential for instant success not just in the host country but also in the artist’s homeland. After her triumph in Asia, Mary-Jess experienced a whirlwind week of success upon returning to England. From landing on the front page of the guardian on Monday, to signing to her first record label on Wednesday and appearing on BBC Breakfast by Friday, she embraced every opportunity, maximising the impact global singing contests can have on a grassroot artist’s career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such impact was underscored by the fact the \u2018Chinese X Factor\u2019 didn\u2019t even air outside its own country, yet she was still capable of achieving vast international success as a result. \u201cIt was all a bit bizarre, I\u2019d gone and won this massive show to 70 million people in China, yet no one in England knew anything about it before my mum approached the press\u201d. Regardless, her achievement still captivated the UK, instantly elevating her career to new heights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What followed would see her career hit all the right notes. Singing at the FA Cup final, participating in the Great Festival of Creativity in Shanghai and even being invited to 10 Downing Street, Mary-Jess established herself as \u201cthe only soprano from UK who can deliver a full show in Mandarin Chinese\u201d and achieved feats she had never imagined before her ascent to fame. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Mary-Jess (@maryjess_music)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>