Nancy's View

 

My views on creativity, humanity, music and business... and adventures along the way. Feel free to agree or disagree, add your thoughts or just ponder, and share wherever you like.

 

Some pieces were originally published in The Huffington Post, V13 and Life As A Human - links to the original publications have been included.

La Lucha de Los Músicos - Más Allá del Coronavirus

Los músicos de todo el mundo nos encontramos en estado de shock después de cancelarse nuestras giras, posponerse las sesiones de estudio hasta nueva orden y cerrarse las salas de conciertos. Igualmente, técnicos, patrocinadores y salas de conciertos están atravesando…

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How COVID-19 Could Help the Music Business 

Musicians around the globe are in a state of shock after having our tours cancelled, studio sessions postponed until further notice, and venues shut down. And technicians, promoters, and venues are also in an especially difficult situation. 

Meanwhile, the rest…

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Do You Care If They're Tearing You Apart?

When I was a young singer I went to a lot of jam sessions. Jams are great for meeting other musicians, learning how to improvise, and how to communicate with other players. You get up onstage with other ‘jammers’ who…

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Morocco - Chapter Three

It’s always good to have a Plan B - then again, there’s really no point. Better to improvise and let the forces intervene…  

After months of preparing logistics and building a great team of musicians and techs, I set off…

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Morocco - Chapter Two

By the time I arrived in the middle of the Moroccan Sahara Desert I was speechless. I was surrounded by nothing but sand and sky, hues of gold and blue - utter silence and air so clean it was a…

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Morocco - Chapter One

My fascination with Morocco started when I was about eleven. Although I grew up in an isolated area, in a forest on the West Coast of Canada, we had a family friend who would sometimes bring me little souvenirs from…

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How I Became Fashionably Unfashionable

When I was growing up on Vancouver Island, I loved to complain about my hand-me-down wardrobe. My parents were both artists, and they didn’t have much money. As a kid, I really didn’t care or even notice that my pants…

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How to Book a Tour of Australia

For Agents, Managers, and Self Managed musicians: How To Book A Tour Of Australia  

By Nancy Ruth 

Australia is a vast country with a lively music scene, well-equipped venues, enthusiastic audiences, and great travel infrastructure. It’s a fun place to…

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I forgot To Have Kids

When people ask me why I didn’t have kids, I give them the closest answer to the truth I can find: ‘I forgot.’  

When I was in my early twenties, I was sure I’d be a big success as a…

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Singing On Steroids

The show must go on. This phrase was drilled into my head as a kid when I was starting my career. I can honestly say that in my 30 years of touring I’ve never missed a show. That doesn’t mean…

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From Record Deal To Indie

In the music biz, we’re often conditioned to believe that a dream come true is getting the coveted ‘record deal.’ It suggests recognition and a leg up to greater success, which to me mostly means still getting to do my…

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Horse At The Door

I’ve always loved horses. When I was 15 I decided to buy one. I didn’t tell my parents, because I knew they’d say no. But since I’d saved $700. by selling kool-aid throughout my childhood summers, I figured I had…

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New Starts, New Works of Art

I’ve moved more times than I can count, and I just packed up and moved again.  

Since moving is so stressful and I’ve usually done it on my own, I’ve learned to live with fewer belongings. Sometimes when I get…

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The Art of Abandoning the List

Have you made a list today? I’ve always been a list maker. Writing my daily and weekly objectives helps me focus, and I like the little adrenaline jolt I feel when I cross off a task. Accomplished! Feels good.  

Here…

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Pre-Show Madness

When I was a child I wanted to be an astronaut. Growing up in the log house my father built on Canada’s West Coast, we didn’t watch TV, nor were there any neighborhood kids to play with. But the undistracted…

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Pay Cheque to Pay Cheque

Do you live ‘paycheque to paycheque’? 

As a musician with no job security, having a steady paycheque would be a luxury. Unless it sucked the life out of me. 

While in college I did a brief stint working in retail…

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Running For Answers

What physical exercise clears your head?  

I like to run. It appeals to my practical side: it’s free, effective exercise and it has the added benefit of leading me to solutions.  

Like many creatives, I have a lot going on…

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