North London Food & Culture

Ich Bin Kentishtowner: Harriette Hale, 25, musician & entrepreneur

'The worst thing anyone’s said to me? That I’m too young to be running a business. I beg to differ.'

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Yorkshire-born Harriette Hale landed in London six years ago with dreams of transforming the music industry. By all accounts she seems on her way to doing just that. She established the Chocolate Box Music Agency, reinventing and reinvigorating the function band in the process, then set up the North London Music Academy, teaching young people musicianship in state of the art studios just off Camden High Street.

Harriette also has her sights set on her own record label and has recently returned to the studio to record new material for her fourth album. She describes herself as feisty, stubborn and perhaps a little cat-crazy.

When were you happiest?
Right now, I love having my own little flat in Kentish Town and a successful business just down the road. Life is on the up!


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Where would you like to live?
I love those pretty pastel houses on Kelly Street and owning somewhere on Park Village West (or East) would be incredible, but I’m pretty happy where I am right now too.

What is your favourite sound?
Definitely the sound of the North London Music Academy on a Saturday when it’s packed to the rafters with music and activity.

Your greatest life achievement?
Not sure I’ve hit my peak yet, but setting up the Chocolate Box Music Agency and the North London Music Academy out of my tiny K-Town flat makes me feel pretty successful.

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What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
I can get too easily bogged down in the stresses of running the businesses and forget to enjoy what I’ve created. Sometimes it’s really nice to come up for air and just enjoy the music.

What is your earliest K-Town memory?
Moving in to my student digs on Lamble Street way before I’d even considered buying a place around here. I lived with five boys and the place was a tip, as you can imagine, but those were some of the best years of my life so far.

What makes you unhappy?
Animal cruelty. It’s a hippy answer I know but I’ve even got attached to the urban foxes who’ve made themselves at home in my garden. Six cubs plus a mum and dad.

Where do you hang out?
The Lion and Unicorn. By far the best pub and it’s right on my doorstep, so no excuses.

What simple thing would improve your quality of life?
Eight days in a week so I can have one day off.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Spending Friday and Saturday night indoors with my kitten. I’m a social reject when it suits.

What’s been your best experience in the manor? Worst?
Best experience was probably being recognised in Snappy Snaps for being ‘that jazz singer’, that was pretty cool. Worst I have to say was when someone tried to mug me outside the George IV pub back in my student days. Fool didn’t realise he picked on the wrong person.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I only have one dimple. Cheeks are meant to have two.

Harriette’s local fave, the Lion & Unicorn

What’s the worst thing anyone’s said to you?
That I’m too young to be running a business. I beg to differ.

What has your career taught you?
Being an entrepreneur and musician for me means living a few years of my life like most people won’t (seven days a week in the office, seven nights a week with a kitten) so that I can spend the rest of my life like most people can’t.

What is your favourite dish and why?
Fish and Chips from the Lion and Unicorn. Best fish and chips outside of Yorkshire and that’s a pretty hard claim to beat.

What did you do today?
Today was the first day of our Musicianship Workshop at The Academy so I was busy organising students and welcoming new parents to the building. I love how quickly the student body is growing, it makes going to work every day an absolute pleasure.

Describe yourself as an animal.
Haha if you hadn’t guessed already I’m a bit of a cat lover, but only for my cat. He’s blond, fluffy, extremely cute, deceptively intelligent and has a real knack for getting his own way ALL the time. Well, they do say pets become like their owners…

New term at the North London Music Academy begins this week.


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About Kentishtowner

The award-winning print and online title Kentishtowner was founded in 2010 and is part of London Belongs To Me, a citywide network of travel guides for locals. For more info on what we write about and why, see our About section.