QuickFire Five: Interview With Miriam Price


We recently sat down with Miriam Price, a music graduate from Durham University, who is embarking on her first year working as a session musician.  

What made you choose bass guitar?

My school was putting on a Christmas concert and nobody in the school played bass guitar. It seemed like a good way to avoid being given a cringey acting role which would involve me being on stage, so I volunteered on the basis that I could borrow a bass from school to learn. My older brother was a pretty accomplished guitar player – he actually signed a recording contract a few weeks ago – and he showed me the basics. The rest, as they say, is history.

What do you need to become a session musician?

An open mind is more important than any qualification or degree, in my opinion. Say yes to as many opportunities as possible while you find your feet. Also, being receptive to difference styles of music is going to prepare you for the different situations you’re likely to end up in. Lastly, it goes without saying that most employers are looking for you to be incredibly skilled at your instrument, so practise, practise, practise. Oh, and of course, there’s also an element of being in the right place at the right time. 

As a woman, is it a challenge working in such a male-dominated industry?

Not at all. I can’t speak for all girls, but I’m very fortunate that 99% of the people I work with, male or female, are incredibly supportive and inclusive. Sort of like sport, music is a world where the attitude is very much, like, “If you’re good enough, we don’t care who you are or what you look like.” I just let my playing do the talking. That being said, I do think we need to do more to encourage young female musicians to take a stab at making a professional living out of music. 

What is a typical working day for you?

It really depends. I’ve just finished a six-week tour of East Asia, which was just crazy, but so much fun. I’m having a few days to recuperate and get myself back on UK time before heading into the studio for a few days to perform on an album. The lifestyle is incredibly hectic and certainly isn’t for everyone, but personally, I absolutely love it. 

If you could work with any artist, who would it be and why?

I’m going to get ripped to shreds for this, but I’m going to say Justin Bieber or another huge male solo performer like that. I’m not necessarily a fan, but I just think it would be so much fun to exist in that world, even if it was only for a short while. There’s a curious mysticism around acts like that – that are so popular and recognisable. I think it would be a very interesting experience! 


by Ellie Dawson

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