The theatrical influences and experiences that have shaped Gemma's path into musical direction and the way she works today.
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Musical leadership, building a better profession.
Gemma has developed a clear sense of what allows teams of creatives and musicians to perform at their best in theatre. Sharing that knowledge and helping to build a fairer profession have become increasingly important in her professional life.
Leading music
Gemma’s work as a musical director goes beyond performing as a conductor and pianist. She sees her role as not just delivering a score precisely, but supporting performers to connect with each other and with an audience. Much of the role is about enabling others — creating the conditions in which singers, actors and musicians can do their best work.
Those conditions have to be built deliberately. All productions carry pressure — repetition, high standards, and the expectation to simply “get on with it”. As MD, Gemma is responsible for the musical integrity of the score and the production, but understands that the way she works also sets the tone. She aims to create an open and supportive environment, and that means being honest about challenges, listening when something isn’t working, and recognising that different people and productions require different approaches.
Sometimes the role is to step into an established show and serve what already exists, maintaining consistency and standards over time. Sometimes it is about building something from scratch. Often it sits somewhere in between — supporting a new company as they bring their own interpretation to an existing production. Good musical direction isn’t a fixed method: it’s recognising what a company needs and responding in the right way.
“Much of the role is about enabling others — creating the conditions in which singers, actors and musicians can do their best work.”
Opening the profession
In 2017, a Musicians' Union survey found that women made up only 1 in 10 of the West End’s pit musicians, with no female musical directors or assistants at the time. This points to a profession that has been shaped by particular pathways and patterns of entry. But there are already signs of a shift — towards fairer, more open and better-supported ways of working.
Through her involvement with Maestra Music and Ladies of the Stave, Gemma sees the value of networks that create visibility and shared knowledge. In a profession where routes in can still feel opaque, open advertising of opportunities and a genuine openness to job-sharing can widen access and help increase diversity. The strongest teams Gemma has worked in are those with a true mix of backgrounds and perspectives.
As a committee member of the Musicians’ Union, Gemma has seen how important a collective voice can be in defending live music, protecting working conditions, and helping to open the industry more fairly. She also welcomes a more proactive approach to mental health within companies: recognising the impact of sustained pressure and putting practical measures in place, including mental health first aiders and safe spaces to talk, so that people are better able to stay well and continue performing at a high level.
“The strongest teams Gemma has worked in are those with a true mix of backgrounds and perspectives.”
Developing talent
Gemma mentors aspiring MDs through Maestra and at Mountview Academy. Many ask how to “break into” the profession, but there is no single route into musical direction. It draws on a wide range of skills — musical, technical, interpersonal — and people can arrive at it from very different backgrounds. Some aspects of the work will come more naturally than others, and different roles place different demands on them. In practice, there are as many variations of the MD job as there are people doing it.
Becoming ready for a career as an MD means developing those skills, building strong working relationships, and gaining experience across a wide range of work. For Gemma, that meant saying “yes” to a broad range of opportunities early on, including projects that might not initially have seemed like a step forward. Those experiences helped her make connections and understand her strengths. Once that foundation was in place, opportunities followed — not because she had followed a defined pathway, but because she was ready for them.
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