Brooke Nicholls: Female Vocalist of the Year

Brooke Nicholls, welcome to my series on musicians. Congrats on winning the 2019 GMA Canada, Female Vocalist of the Year last week. Please tell my audience a little about you?

Thanks for including me in your musician’s series. I’m truly honored!

I’m a Worship Leader & Singer/Songwriter from Toronto, ON. My husband and I been touring for the last 2 years, just recently Steve (my husband) left his full-time job to come alongside me and be my tour manager.  We’ve always played and toured together but he had been working a full-time job; we learned quickly that working two full-time jobs didn’t leave any space for rest – so he/we took the leap of faith back in May to step out to do music together full time. I also work at a church in Ajax called Sanctus, we love being a part of the local church. So, we reserve 2 Sundays a month to be at our home church and then the rest of the weeks we are on the road somewhere in beautiful Canada partnering with other ministries or touring.

Talk to me about your music and your latest song. I was listening to it and I am like, I have to interview Brooke Nicholls?

Wow, you’re so sweet! My latest single “Turn My Eyes’ feels like a really special song.  It’s a nod to one of my favorite old hymns, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”  It’s a reminder that wherever I may find yourself; God is close.  I wrote and recorded this song over a year ago in Nashville, but when I got the song back, I knew something wasn’t right.  It’s kind of a hard thing to explain; but when I listened to it for the first time, I knew it wasn’t what I was supposed to release to the world.  So, I pushed pause on the song, re-wrote it lyrically, and melodically then took it back to the studio. That process took about a year – but I knew I made the right decision when I got the song back and listened to it for the first time weeping in my chair.  That’s when you know you’ve done something right.

Why is music so important to us as humans?

I read recently how music affects the brain; like, when you listen to music or play an instrument, the activity of that causes different parts of the brain to work together. This is why I believe every human can relate to the music on some level. It’s scientifically proven that music calms your nerves, causes a change in your hormones, lessens anxiety, and lifts your mood. Whether it’s an instrumental tune that’s evoking some sort of emotion in you or it’s a song with lyrics that feels like it’s directly written for to you. Music brings healing to the soul – it has the ability to soothe a broken heart and bring hope to people’s lives.  I’m so thankful music exists, it’s the most beautiful thing.

I have seen you on television with a few other women. Explain to me what the show is all about?

Oh yes, TV! I’m a co-host on a show called See Hear Love – you can watch it every Monday on YES TV.  It’s kinda like a Christian version of “The Social” –  There’s 4 of us plus a guest who will discuss a topic from a Christian viewpoint. It’s been a lot of fun being a part of it; I never thought I’d see myself on TV but it’s a wonderful thing when you allow yourself to be open to the opportunities God may bring your way.  I laugh because, singing on a stage with 5,000 people in front of me doesn’t frighten me one bit, but sitting on a couch casually discussing life with 4 women does! Haha!  I love being stretched and grown this way – it’s so cool to be a part of this show!

Brooke Nicholls, I see from a distance, you are a beautiful, talented, smart, intelligent, smart husband, great career. Help me understand some of the challenges Brooke Nicholls has been through and how did you deal with it?

That’s so kind of you to say, thank you! The truth is: social media has become people’s highlight reels and that’s just not real life. I think it’s important for people to see behind the curtain a bit, so thanks for asking this question. In 2017 my husband and I faced a major challenge. We’ve been living in a 500 sq. ft. condo for the past 3.5 years and have been saving to buy a house in the suburbs. That summer we were presented with an opportunity to go to Nashville to record my second Christian record and we took it. We used most of our house down payment towards the trip to Nashville & recording the record.

However, the record wasn’t right when we got it back. We were faced with the decision to release it anyways or go back to the drawing board (which would cost more money).  After a couple of months of being confused and frustrated; we decided to re-record the entire record. Here we are almost 2 years later still living in that 500 sq. Ft 1-bedroom condo because of 1 decision that didn’t go as planned.  These types of situations can take a toll on your emotions & your marriage. And at the time, this one did; this is just an example of many. Steve and I are faced with decisions daily that could miserably fail and leave us questioning ourselves – it’s not easy running your own business successfully. It takes a lot of sacrifice, hard work, and leaps of faith that leaves you wondering if you’ve lost your mind! Ha! But at the end of the day, Steve and I find so much comfort in our faith – I’m so thankful for a strong husband who reminds me of how good God has been to us. Whether it’s a major fail or major success, we will always give God the glory for our story.

Music is a tough business. However, you are successful and are presently touring. What are the key characteristics a musician needs to have to become successful?

I see a lot of entitlement in the music industry – I’m sure that’s a thing in any field but it’s something I’ve noticed it a lot lately.  I don’t think anybody should ever act like they’re owed something.  Great, you’re talented. Great, you’re on a stage. Great, you get special fizzy water in your green room.  None of those things should ever make somebody treat another person differently. Being humble and serving wherever you are is one of the greatest characteristics anybody could ever possess. My advice to a musician starting out, instead of being served – be the one serving.  Be the person who stands out for your kindness, generosity, and humility.

Give me some tips on being a wife and what are the challenges of working with your husband and how you overcome them. I am sure Brooke Nicholls never fights or has disagreements?

Ha, there are so many jokes I want to make right now.  Remember when I talked about our 500 sq ft. Condo? Yah, that’s a thing.  We tour together, live in a tight space together, work every day together; the list goes on. Our condo is our home, our studio, and our office. Lord help us! Basically, we’re never apart unless I’m escaping for some chicken wings with a girlfriend. Ha! I try to do my own thing as often as I can, space is important in any relationship and since space isn’t a natural thing for us due to the nature of our work; doing my best to create space is something I’m very aware of.

Some days one of us will work from a coffee shop and when we get home;  dinner will ready and we’ll go for a walk or go see a movie. Trying to draw a line in the sand of when work is done and when we can be husband and wife wasn’t something I ever envisioned for my life; but I also wouldn’t change it for the world, I love the life we’ve created.  And truthfully, at the end of the day, my marriage means more to me than my career.  My advice to somebody in this situation: love your spouse first. Selflessly serves them first. The dream, the career… all that stuff will follow.

How do you balance faith, family, food, and finances with a busy career such as yours?

Balance.  That’s a word I’m still working out in my life.  I’m trying to learn from those who have gone before me because the truth is, burn out is a thing and I don’t want to ever get there. I think this will be an ongoing lesson in our life.  It can be so hard balancing when to turn off the computer when you work from home, but Steve and I are being intentional about shutting down at a proper time so that we can have dinner & watch a show together.  As far as diet goes, the road can be a deep-fried yummy place to live in.  I’ve chosen to eat a “Keto” lifestyle because I don’t have much self-control around chips and specialty donuts. Ha! (I mean, who does? And if you do, please tell me your secrets!) When we travel, I don’t always have control over what food is placed in front of me, so by letting others know I’m keto, helps keep my diet in check.  My faith is #1 in my life, it’s ingrained in me; I wake up – give God thanks and spend time reading or writing whether I’m at home or on the road. If that routine starts to suffer, everything for me suffers. So, I protect that part of my life as much as I can.

I think as long as I live, I’ll be learning about balance.

If someone wants to be a musician like you, what advice can you give to them?

Invest in your passion. If you dream of being a singer – take lessons, spend money to learn about your instrument, how it works, how to take care of it, and how to strengthen it.  I think sometimes people want the reward without putting in the work or investment it takes to get the reward.  Take Pro Golfers as an example, in order to get as good as they are, to be on television, competing in massive tournaments and making large amounts of money – they’ve had to take privates lessons for many many years; they had to invest in a good set of clubs, clothes, and teachers. They had to put in thousands of hours of work and practice to get to that pro level.   Being a musician isn’t any different.  Investment and hard work are key.

Tell me a good joke about musicians?

A 92-year-old man told me this joke in my travels recently:

How can you tell that there’s a vocalist at your front door?

She forgot the key and doesn’t know when to come in.

I don’t think he was referring to me, but God bless him if he was! Ha!