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Nicole “Songbird” Coward started playing at the tender age of 9 when she picked up a keyboard at a local garage sale. Folk music was ever present in the house. Nicole remembers growing up to the sounds of The Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary, among others. Musicianship was also in her family with both parents singing and playing guitar.
She was classically trained on the flute and French Horn. Although her classical training gave her the tools she would later use to produce her own music, the stoic formalism somewhat chafed against her natural inclinations.
In ‘Through the Window”, a recent release by Nicole, note the open tuning which is famous in folk music’s most soulful songs. Bob Dylan’s iconic “Blood on the Tracks” album contains songs almost all in open tuning.
The open tuning is particularly evident in this cover of “You’re a Big Girl Now” (from “Blood on the Tracks”)
When one of her Professors in University asked “What is everyone’s favourite music” a chorus of classical legends came back: “Bach, Shostakovich, Beethoven, Mozart, …” et al. When the professor came to Nicole she indicated that she liked all music, including folk music. The professor responded coldly: “Classical music is only the real music.”
She didn’t like the life of a work-a-day classical musician. As a result of her experiences in University and in the world of Orchestra music, she left music for a full 10 years. Luckily for us, she became re-enamoured with music when she stuck to her roots and love: Folk music.
Folk is easily the least lucrative niche in the already competitive Music Industry. When I asked her if that frustrates her, she replied that sometimes “Financial stress makes me hate music at times. It lasts a day. I can’t stop playing music.” She is however, making significant inroads with a core, stable fan base that spurs her on.
When I interviewed her, she was set to perform “We Shall Overcome” and broadcast it live to the internet. The song is a classic folk protest song and I asked her what it is we are trying to overcome today. She said: ““We have to overcome things personally, that’s where it starts before we can overcome bigger challenges in our community or nation.” Her focus is on improving the world by healing people.
This tack comes from her own personal story. She was once far too shy to perform on stage. However, the same sensitivity that leads to shyness, also leads to creativity. Nicole noted: “It’s not a bad thing to be sensitive. It allows me to write music.”
A central theme to her music is self growth and improvement. She has an affinity for the Buddhist way of thinking and is quite spiritual. When I asked her what she hoped her fans got from her music, her eyes lit up: “I’d like people to look inwards and see what they have to work on. I think there is so much turmoil in people’s souls. [People need to ask,] Am I too hard on myself? Do I think ‘I am not worthy to be happy?’”
A recent release by Nicole: “I Love Me” reflects this spirituality and intention:
“I Love Me
I don’t need to say it out loud…
I feed my soul with practice of good faith…
And only do jobs that make me feel great.”
We, the listening public, should be glad that Nicole only works in jobs that make her feel great because her music is making an ever increasing number of people feel great too.
To hear more of Nicole “Songbird” Coward, please visit:
