The Journey

FEBRUARY 2012

I have completed ‘A YEAR OF LEARNING’ Reflections are posted here. I am now looking at ‘What’s Next?’…

Love N

FEBRUARY 2011
I am on a journey to create music and film and, as of February 2011, I am taking a year off to pursue this.

I now see this Chapter of my life as a progression from everything I have done in the past. My past? I’ve competed and performed on ice as a dancer, acting a part as a dancer in the round. Worked as a presenter and broadcaster. Written and designed many things that have never been published and some things that have. I’ve created and produced shows including in my own ‘little’ shows and had one 9 to 5 job along the way. All this has lead me to this point.

Truth is I have been stopped on many occasions by what people may say or have said about what I do or plan to do in the past. I abruptly finished an ice dancing career – announcing it was over on National TV in Britain – and then didn’t have the courage to put my hand up and ask someone to skate with me. One young lady many years later, when I skated with her (the best ice dance moment of my life by the way) said. “Where were you ten years ago?” I was stuck, down and lost. Sad perhaps but true, or I was fighting to find my way but never sticking at anything. There have been an awfull lot of ‘Doing something in order to…” get somewhere. That was a long time ago but still there are lessons for me that I will never forget.

I still find it scary somedays in daring to take time off as bills continue to come, as they do for all of us, and as I learn to step further than I have done before in the music. I see and feel I have something to contribute and have been profiled to have musical abilities. But how will that pan out for me and my family in the future? I have hope and an overall plan but I am learning more and more that to truly play full out requires courage and risk.

It will definitely be scary to ‘come out’ and sing in public that’s for sure. I’ve done it few times – the pub, the rugby club, the charity gig, church and the old people’s home, being Frank Sinatra for the ladies and gents – only one person dropped off! But to really sing properly. This will be a huge deal for me. I’m aware I could keep putting it off if I’m not careful! I need a deadline to really make me do stuff. The last ten minutes always create energy for me. But at the same time all of this lights up my heart and feels like I have a purpose. It’s akin to that of trying to be a World Champion that drove me forward in my competitive skating days.

I am in training and I am learning: vocals, piano, guitar, songwriting, composition, music and video production and about what it takes to create and direct film. It’s a mountain from artistry to technology!

Maybe you read this and think... Focus on one thing at a time, master of none Jack of all is a danger for you Nicky. It is true and you are right, I am being very ambitious in not focusing on just one area. I only have so many ‘energy hours’ as Margarita Sweeney Baird (a former coach) once told me. I do hit overwhelm on occasion – weekly. However, right now I feel this is the right track. I am broadening my palate and my appreciation of the art and craft of being a Songsmith. I am learning about ‘being artist’ rather than being sportsman or producer.

Perhaps I will be 93 before I publish anything? My beautiful wife Christiane will be expecting results far earlier than that – as do I. The plan is for 2011 to be a year out to be learning. 2012 producing…. It’s a risk to take a year out, bills don’t stop and perhaps I could get more TV work and stay in that field but, from experience I know I need the time to focus. In past years I’ve moved things forward but not fast enough, it’s time to get serious and literally put my money where my mouth is!

I am developing more of an understanding of the crafts I am studying. Writing with different instruments gives me different frameworks to reference and as my skill develops I’m excited by what’s possible, although just having a few chords does have it’s benefits.  I am aware that knowledge can take away the rawness of ‘just doing it’ and bear this in mind. But I love learning of the links between composers of yesteryear and present day singer / songwriters. ‘The Magic is in the Music’ for me and I love learning about it’s structures, relationships and quirks.

Film? Christiane (my lovely wife) has a vision to do film and I have adopted it. Actually I have always seen film as the biggest show and I love creating shows. I find I am naturally the Writer / Director, she is naturally ‘the eyes’ the cinematographer. So as things develop I see we can be a great team. She also sings like an angel and I plan duets and to write specifically for her in the future.  A vision of working together like John and June Carter Cash did is always in my thoughts. I love creating the concepts, storyboarding and realising visuals that go with the music.

I have always had an ear for music. I sat on my father’s knee with him editing the 1/4 inch tape on his Ferrograph reel to reel machine. Using Logic (my music editing programme on my Mac) reminds of that time as I cut and paste musical sections. I used to say to the people editing my skating music, “Just take it from there and cut it back in again there.” “It won’t work.” I was often told. I’ve listened to that line too many times in my life. But on those occassions I would ask for it ‘To just be tried out.” It always worked.

In the mid eighties a gentlemen called Mike Batt agreed to write some music for me and Karen Barber to skate to. It became Dragon Dance. We stood in the control room of Wembley studios the assembled throng of the London Symphony Orchestra below us with Cliff Richard’s backing band there for good measure. The recording was done. Four minutes eighteen seconds. Sounded wonderful but – “Mike, it has to be ten seconds either side of four minutes. Those are the rules. You will have to cut it down.” I said. He pondered. We could remove the violin bit. But the orchestra moaned, partly because the lead violin is a very important person in the orchestra, and partly because they were winding Mike up I think. “Mike how about you cut that bit from there to there? If you take those bits out, it will work.” I suggested. It all went very quiet in that control room. Apparently telling the composer what to cut was not normally what was done. But I didn’t know. There was a hesitation then Mike put a line through those bars and the orchestra played through again and it was four minutes eight seconds. Job done. At least this is how I remember it! Teamwork. I like to think that these two examples show I have a ear and aptitude for music – but then I may be delusional which, in itself can sometimes be a help when writing songs. Discuss.

Anyway Mike (Batt) is an inspiration to me in what he has done and does today. I sent him a hastily, and ‘searching for my way’ demo several years ago. He wrote back, the gist being …”You’re a really nice guy and a very good ice skater but PLEASE don’t continue with the music…” I have hidden out ever since and continue to do so looking to develop my skills little by little until I dare to share the results… It was great advice. I’ll never send a demo like that again!

I am, at the time of writing fifty two years old! Goodness. David Grant said to me, when I shared my baby dream of songwriting a few years back, ”Writing now, you have a wealth of life experience to draw on,” as I sat in their home hearing music flow from it. Carrie saying “I’m just writing a song.” She was choreographing a skating solo I did for Songs of Praise! How I wanted to be able to do that – the songwriting not the skating. He is right, I have a back story and David is always encouraging, a rare and beautiful gift. And you know what, however it sounds I can do this. I just need (1) people around me to do all the engineering and marketing stuff whilst I concentrate on being artist or, as is the case right now (2) I do the majority myself and bring others on board later. There is a bit of me hidding out until I’m good enough going on too! But maybe I shouldn’t share that? Oh, by the way I’ve had lessons and now work from online and David and Carrie’s ‘You Can Sing’ book is part of my training! Small world.

My bottom line is for me to do everything I can to be the best I can on this singer/songwriting journey. I have always loved entertaining and this is taking ‘Being Entertainer’ to a new place for me. With a wife who is backing me, a  space to grow into what could be, I am sure. If I got to those pearly gates and haven’t given my all to making this work I’ve missed something important in my life.

I think it’s about ‘Being vulnerable’ at the end of the day for me. Music is about emotion and the artist needs to be open to fully express what the emotion is for him or her. Or course this might mean something else to everyone else but as long as it reaches the listeners/watchers heart then the job is done. Finding your voice, finding your sound is, I read, a part of the journey too. I’m not completely there yet. It will come. Of course having a thick skin to cope with feedback and disappointments and deal with the business is also needed. A juxtaposition for the artist.

I was in France the other day and I noted the difference in how ‘The artist’ is treated – maybe it was my imagination. My romantic notion of the French. I do love Mont Maitre though and have loved to hang out there in the evenings in the past.  It reminded me that if we don’t go for what’s on our hearts. We are missing something… Perhaps not the teutonic stiff upper lip ‘get it done’ mentality perhaps a little more laid back – that used to drive me crazy when working with French people in broadcasting –  a little more of that French insouciance is coming out in me. But then, I do have some French blood, along with some Irish – so I may be talking blarney?

Anyway this is my journey and I’m going to share it here. The net being my home.  The book is opened, the pen ready, the guitar and keyboard tuned, the website here so onwards looking upwards I go.

I hope you are able to follow your heart and your dream too. If I can do it, anybody can!

Love

Nicky

Photo © Copyright 2010 Christiane Elizabeth Slater