Bethan is Boss on social media
A music student from Mull has been hitting the high notes on social media after a video she recorded attracted the biggest ever engagement on her university’s Twitter account.
Currently unable to take part in live gigs, Bethan Sexton, a fourth year Popular Music student at Napier University in Edinburgh, recorded her performance of Bruce Springsteen’s I’m on Fire, with some tech help from classmate Robbie Hutchison, and posted it on her Instagram page.
Suitably impressed, the university then posted it on its Twitter feed and the tri-aspect performance ended up drawing the page’s biggest ever reaction with 30,000 plays, 140,000 impressions and 8,000 engagements.
Speaking to The Oban Times last week Bethan said: ‘I was doing a lot of work teaching harmony for my university schedule and I decided I’m on Fire would be the perfect song to reflect how well harmonies can work and a great example of three part harmony. I decided to do my own recording of it, which I enjoyed thoroughly.
‘I was totally shocked by the response. I was thrilled when Napier got in touch with me asking to share the video and can’t believe how well the recording went down with their followers.
‘It was really encouraging for me to see and has made me excited to do more recordings.
‘I must thank Robbie for his part in it. The video definitely wouldn’t sound as clear and professional without him.’
A former Tobermory High School pupil, Bethan has participated in countless Mòds, recorded a CD with Isle of Mull Mòd Club and is now teaching Gaelic online to children. She’s also recorded a song for the 2021 Mull and Iona Gathering called Èitseal Bheag an Leòdhas.
‘I have always loved singing this song as the melody is so gorgeous,’ she added.
‘My style is very much folk/ acoustic, it’s the genre and music I gravitate to most and I’m really inspired by artists such as Rachel Sermanni.’
Before the latest lockdown struck, Bethan was preparing for her final fourth year live performance gig with the university which would have taken place in May.
‘It’s such a shame that we are unable to perform live with our uni bands,’ she said.
‘We were all really looking forward to it, but I feel very fortunate that we still have the technology to be creating music and collaborating with other musicians as well.
‘It’s definitely made lockdown a lot easier.
To watch Bethan’s I’m on Fire performance visit www.instagram.com/tv/CKmR0ghgIwo/?igshid=h3nrtmr5n89k