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A student in the Grande École program’s master cycle at IÉSEG, Eloïse has been passionate about music since she was a child, and skillfully juggles her student life with her passion. Today, she shares with us her unforgettable experience on stage at the Palais des Congrès de Paris in June, for the School’s Graduation Ceremony, and more generally, her experience as an artist in a management school.

Eloïse, how did you get started as a musician?

I’ve always had a passion for music, and I started by learning music theory and guitar at the age of eight. But I soon realized that what I really loved was singing. So I chose to focus solely on my vocal skills. At first, I was singing in my room, but everything changed when I joined IÉSEG. There I met other music enthusiasts who opened the way for me, showing me that it was possible to sing in front of an audience without being a real showman. Since then, I’ve been training regularly to improve my singing and sometimes I play guitar or piano. I write very little, as I really enjoy doing covers of existing songs. I also really enjoy teaming up with other musicians for events, as was the case in June for IÉSEG’s graduation ceremony. Broadly speaking, I’m more attracted to pop/rock and jazz, but I’m very open-minded and enjoy working with all types of music.

Tell us about your experience at the Palais des Congrès in Paris: what was it like to perform in front of such a large audience?

Getting up on stage at the Palais des Congrès was an incredible experience! It was the first time I had ever been in front of so many people (over 3,000!) and in front of a seated audience, which is very different. The feeling is not the same for the artist. Until now, I’d never performed in front of an audience of over 300 people. But in the end, the biggest challenge wasn’t so much the number of people in the audience, but rather the immensity of the concert hall in terms of acoustics and the way you hear yourself on stage. It’s very different from the way you hear yourself in a small venue. I felt a surge of stress when I discovered the stage at the final rehearsal the day before the event, but the adrenalin took over when I went on stage for the show. And everything went off without a hitch! To tell you the truth, I’d love nothing more than to be able to sing in other venues like this one and challenge myself.

What’s it like to prepare for such a big event?

As far as I am concerned, it’s a lot of adaptation! I sang alongside three musicians, 2 of whom were also students at IÉSEG. I already knew some of them, but we’d never or very rarely played together before. What’s more, half the group lived in Lille and the other half in Paris… So it was very complicated to find time to rehearse together. In the end, we only had 2 rehearsals together before the concert: one with only part of the group, and the final rehearsal with the whole band. We had agreed well in advance on the songs we were going to play and work on separately, so that we could put them together the day before the event. And it worked out!

How does it feel to be an artist at IÉSEG?

Personally, I feel very comfortable because there’s a real community of students who are passionate about art in all its forms at the School, and we have dedicated associations. What’s more, there are plenty of opportunities to perform on stage at various events organized throughout the year, such as IÉSEG CONSEIL Lille’s CSR Challenge. Some students even produced an album (Echoes), during lockdown, which was entirely recorded remotely… So there are many opportunities to fulfill your artistic potential at the School.

How do you juggle your studies with your passion for music?

It’s a tricky balance because I want to succeed in both fields. IÉSEG has given me many opportunities to blossom musically, notably by meeting other music lovers. However, you also must be realistic: pursuing an artistic career and succeeding in music is very difficult. So, I’m staying focused on my studies, while bringing my passion to life whenever I get the chance. Although my parents love art and are happy that I’m thriving in music, they’re very down-to-earth and have always pushed me to go all the way with my studies and get my Master’s degree, so that I can be sure of having a stable job alongside my passion. And I think is a very good thing!

How do you see your professional future?

Ideally, after my studies at IÉSEG, I’d like to go into a profession that combines my artistic skills with the management and strategy skills I acquired at IÉSEG, so as to be as close as possible to my passion. But we’ll see what the future holds!

A tip to share?

If anyone interested in becoming an artist is reading this article, I’d like to tell them to keep in mind that being an artist isn’t about having talent: it’s about working hard! The talent we perceive in someone is in fact the result of that person’s hard work. So don’t hesitate to set out in to find your own talent, even if you don’t think you have any at first, as long as you’re prepared to work hard and consistently.