Thea Wray
was born in the UK to Jamaican parents and was raised and educated in
Jamaica and the USA. Thea holds degrees from
University of the West Indies and
Auburn University. However her first love is music, having
started piano lessons when she was 3 ½ years old. She continued her musical
training in Jamaica with a number of tutors and became a Licentiate in
Pianoforte Performance from Trinity College London in 1977. As a youngster
and then an adult she was involved in the music ministry at her church,
Bethel Baptist in Kingston, Jamaica, led by Reverend
Burchell Taylor playing both the piano and organ. During this time
she also worked as a keyboardist in several theatrical productions; she
started singing commercial advertisements in the mid eighties and started to
offer her musical services for private functions. She decided to enter the
world of music full time in 1997 after having divided her time between her
musical career, her studies and work in the areas of Agriculture, Banking,
Travel and Property management. She relocated to the North Coast
of Jamaica to work on the hotel entertainment circuit. Thea worked as a
cocktail pianist and sing-a-long pianist as well as vocalist/pianist in a
jazz trio setting at hotels such as Sandals
Dunns River, Ciboney and Round Hill
Hotels.
Thea returned to the UK in early 2000 with
her family to further what she thought was her Jazz music career and made
appearances at a few private functions during this time. Although a baptised
Christian since 1974 she felt the call of the Lord to use her talents to
spread His Gospel through her music since returning to the UK. So convicted,
she has been a committed and active member of the Rye Lane Chapel led
by Pastor Frank Goveia in Peckham since July 2000 where she is part
of the Praise and Worship team. She also ministers in music where invited
although since being appointed the Director for the Music Ministry at Rye
Lane Chapel she is concentrating her efforts in Peckham. Thea also works
with Spinnaker Trust, a Christian charity, which brings Christian
assemblies to primary schools in Southwark, Lambeth, Wandsworth and
Bromley.
Thea holds a one year certificate course
in Jazz and Pop Studies from
Goldsmith College, in London which has supported her on her
musical journey. She released a vocal instructional compact disc entitled
Support the Sound which is distributed by
Black Women in the Arts based in Hackney. She is presently
working on a booklet to supplement the CD which will be published in 2005.
She wrote and produced a contemporary Christmas Cantata entitled 'A Dream
Come True' which was staged at the Rye Lane Chapel in Peckham in
December 2002. As an intuitive performer she is also involved in
storytelling with the cartoonist
Tayo Fatunla where she adds a musical dimension to European,
Caribbean and African tales. Thea teaches music at Southwark Park Primary
school and Robert Browning Primary school, both in Southwark and has a
private studio where she teaches piano, guitar and voice.
Thea calls herself one of ‘God’s Singers’
and has two releases to her credit - Water II Wine Praise I
released in 2002. and ‘NOBOUNDARIESNOBORDERSNOLIMITS’ in
2003. Additional studio work on her Christmas album entitled ‘My Favourite
Things’ previously released in Jamaica on cassette format in 1998 will
commence in time for its re-release in 2005. Thea continues to write for the
Lord and she wants her life to give God the glory.
