Finding his voice: A conversation with Nick Ford (w/video)

9/20/2019 12AM

Nick Ford of Indianapolis performs at the Palladium in April during the annual World Voice Day celebration. (photo by Rob Slaven)

Indianapolis youth learns more than music in Center’s vocal programs

 

To hear him tell it, Nick Ford was a shy high school freshman when he first enrolled in the Center for the Performing Arts’ Group Vocal Coaching course and subsequently performed at the Center’s annual World Voice Day celebration, which invites community members to perform a song before a live audience in the Palladium concert hall. He returned to participate in the course and the public concert each of his four years in high school.

Now a freshman at Marian University, Nick says the lessons he learned from instructor Todd Neal and the interactions he enjoyed with his fellow singers have not only made him a more confident performer, but in fact have transformed his personality and his outlook on life.

 

Nick shared his experiences in the video interview at right and in the similar conversation below with Robin Briskey, the Center’s Annual Fund & Corporate Relations Manager. The text was edited lightly for length and clarity.

 

Robin: Are you from this area?

Nick: I was born and raised in Indianapolis, and that’s all I’ve really ever known. Bishop Chatard (High School) graduate.

 

And you’ve been in Group Vocal Coaching for four years?

Yes, four years.

 

And World Voice Day?

Yes, every year. I started vocal coaching and performing on World Voice Day my freshman year, and at that time I was a completely opposite personality. I had very low confidence in myself, and I had a lot of things to work through. And I remember coming to Group Vocal Coaching wanting to become a better singer, and a better performer all around. I really had to jump those mental blocks that were telling me that I wasn’t good enough to be a successful performer, be someone who maybe could inspire another person. And Todd Neal, who has been my vocal coach for all four years, was introduced to me, and he really kicked me off in the right direction. Performing for the first time, I remember just telling myself that I could have done all of these things better. But it was the fact that I was able to get up on stage and finally do that and finally put myself out there that gave me the confidence to keep coming back, and go on to do other unrelated things like joining the school cheer team, even though I was the only guy to do it, and truly be bold and brave and confident in every way I wished I could be. And other people seemed to believe that I could be as well.

 

I like what you said, that it’s not really about the actual performance that you give, because all of us as performers are so conscious of “Oh, I could have done that better” – it’s really a self-consciousness thing. But you’re saying it’s not about that, it’s about getting on stage and being present there, getting the opportunity to do that, and getting the boost that you needed. So how did you find out about Group Vocal Coaching?

Well, my mom actually told me about it. I had no idea. I didn’t even know about the Center until she brought it to me. And I said, “I want to do it,” so that’s kind of been an annual thing. More like a tradition of mine.

 

Had you been singing in other avenues before that point?

A little bit, but I wanted something more, something that would enhance my experience and could really help me improve. Because I felt like I was at a standstill – and whether I wanted it to be a career of mine, or not, I knew that it was a God-given talent that I wanted to – if not perfect – keep crafting and working on.

 

What songs did you perform throughout the four years at World Voice Day?

The first song I remember was “Stitches” by Shawn Mendez. The second song was “Corner of the Sky” from the musical Pippin. The third was “C’est Moi” (from Camelot), and then the last one was “Make Them Hear You” from Ragtime.

 

You talked about how Todd specifically gave you the boost of confidence that you were looking for. What other things did you take away from the class, either performing-wise or things that you can apply to other endeavors?

One of those things is that you are your worst critic. And he and I both know that I tend to get in my head, and I often overthink. He told me to just quiet my mind; I’m thinking too much. One of his main things is “Don’t look at the floor!” What else? He has a thing about closing your eyes, and other technical things like opening your mouth, tongue placement – I didn’t know anything about that until the most recent section of coaching. Let’s see – posture, and other things like that. They all play together. And every single year I’ve taken something new away and have been able to apply it.

 

So it sounds like his approach is very holistic, and the confidence and tools – about not being in your head – lend themselves well to the vocal techniques, and vice versa. And both encompass a new approach to performing?

Yes. And some of the key elements are that he’s very encouraging, he’ll never talk you down, which is so nice because there are people in this world who will. So he really creates a safe environment to express yourself and be yourself. But he’s also going to challenge you to be the best that you can be. And he sees potential in everybody. And going back to confidence, one of the things he targets is those emotional and mental barriers that you create in your own mind. I remember my freshman year, when I first came, we were all given books with these notepads in them, and pens, and we were all taking notes on what our own mental barriers were, and how they affect us, and our personal goals of what we want to accomplish. And we would go down the list, and he would really bring to light how invalid some of those feelings are. They are truly just figments of our imagination.

 

Another thing that’s great is that he uses humor to lighten the mood and ease some tense situations, which I think is very helpful. And it’s very comforting even to laugh at yourself for some of the silly things that you may do, and you don’t even realize you do. And overall it transforms the whole person. My personality from my freshman year did a complete 180, so I’m honestly totally different than I was back then. And he is one of those individuals I have to thank for that.

 

What’s the setting like? You talked about a safe space, and using humor, and building confidence with the whole group. What’s it like having that kind of 1-to-1 in a group setting? Was that nerve-wracking when you first came into it?

I was terrified. I was very judgmental, very harsh on myself. And when it came to performing in front of others, that was scary because I was saying, “Oh my gosh, they’re judging me, what if I do this, what if I sound like this?” My mind was on a hamster wheel, producing all of this negativity. And he could see that on my face. So he would stop me and say, “Look, I know you’re nervous, take a deep breath, don’t look at the floor, don’t close your eyes, look at whoever the woman would be on the back screen,” and he would really take my mind off of my own self-doubt and focus more on the task at hand, which is producing good music. As far as the setting, in the long run it helped me because if I’m going to be performing in front of others, that is perfect practice having an audience there that is not there to judge, they’re there to learn, just as much as you are there to learn. In fact, I think that they can learn just as much from watching you learn as they would being up there in your place.

 

Everyone’s on the same level, and in there for the same experience. And the end of it is World Voice Day. Tell me about your experience with WVD.

Well Todd would always say that whether you had any nerves, that’s OK. Whether you remember all of the things I taught in the class or not – all of the technicalities, the things of that nature – if nothing else, remember to go up there and have fun. Because that’s what it’s all about. If you’re not having fun while you’re singing, then why are you doing it? But being up there on stage is a totally different experience. Especially when you’re first walking in. When I saw the lights, it hit me in a totally different way because I was like, “This is really it. This is where I can really make my voice heard and really shine like a star,” so to speak. And when it came to finally walking up onto stage when it was my turn to sing, my first time it was very nerve-wracking, but the thrill-seeker in me was ready to take on the challenge. After that, it got easier and easier until it was comfortable. At this point, I don’t see an end to me coming to do this. It would be weird and too different for me to not be coming back to what changed a good portion of my life.

 

For more information on the Center's educational and experiential programs, visit TheCenterPresents.org/Learn.

 

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