Who’s That
Girl
Geri
Minelli first made her public appearance at the age of 5 when taking part as a movie extra in a film made in her local hometown.
At the age of 7 she went on to appear in the local Evening Mail newspaper having been plucked out of a crown of children
visiting a park. From that day, she hasn’t looked back.
Her musical training on the trombone and cornet, was an extension
of her talent from ayoung age as she found her popularity in the arts of her infant/junior days admired by ,many.
Song-writing
began at the age of 7 with experimental tunes, but it wasn’t till she reached 10 that she began to make record of the
songs and log their lyrics.
By 14 her attendance at the dance school took over her ambitions to become a model a although her
father was happy to pay for her to take the training. Choreography was always something that came naturally
and after a short spell, Geri was taking classes at school and instructing dance session, putting on shows.
At the age of 16,
her love for dance petered after being kicked out of the Birmingham Youth Dance Company after failing to attend a class.
By then the stage appearances with various auditions and shows help to set the path for greater things.
Even though
photography took a turn with her reporting on band playing at the local top spots, her love was to take to the very stages
she was reporting about.
In her early adult years, promoting bands in local clubs allowed her to fulfil her management role whilst
fronting her own bands in venues in the city’s hot spots. This time of her life could not have been
more relevant to the WiM Day cause that was later to come.
In 2001 Geri graduated at the University of Central England as
the first female to pass the HND in Music Performance. She stood in Symphony Hall and was handed her certificate
by the then Lord Mayor. This was her greatest music educational achievement cementing her beliefs.
By 2003 her
creative skills reached an all time high, when she created the Women in Music Festival –Birmingham. The
entity marked a musical celebration for IWD and would take on a new life form. Allowing her to also promote
her self-produced theatre musical “Minelli Sings Minnelli”, Geri found new meaning to life, and hosted the first
full festival in 2006. Using her own money to finance the venture, she ha never looked back and continues
to finance the event for others.
On March 28th 2008, as part of ‘100 Years of Female Recognition’ Geri stood
in front of Lord Mayors, Lady Mayoresses, Diplomatic Dignitaries and Honoured Guests and declared International Women in Music
Day at the City Council House. The day is a marked celebration for females of the music industry to come
together to celebrate their worth in the biggest single entertainment industries ever.
Here is 2012, Geri continues to fight the
battle to provide platforms for female performers to take to, either in their early stages of experience of the industry or
later in life . “There are no age limits to females taking to the stage as we know once it’s
in your blood, its there for life. My motto is MAKE IT HAPPEN and that is exactly what I try to do”
As she continues
to lead the awareness of the Maroon Ribbon Campaign, (the symbol of International Women in Music Day) Geri hopes to push the
boundaries even further as she continues to ‘pave the way for generation s to come’.
follow
on twitter @geriminelli or visit www.geriminelli.com