I stole this line from the song ‘Barcelona’. I sing it sometimes when people ask for it from my song menu and I have never learnt the words because the Freddie on my backing track is awful. I cringe inside when I have to do it (even though I love the song), but I need to learn the words now and this phrase stuck out at me the other day, so I thought I would use it for my blog title. It is a top song and Freddie Mercury absolutely loved opera and thought Montserrat Caballe had the perfect voice.

Going back to dreams, I have my dream to sing for the masses, do my Julie Andrews show, live in America. It’s not so much a dream but the feeling in my gut that this is my future. Maybe that’s what dreams are. The feeling we get from our instincts. My dream is certainly not to battle the America visa system and work out how to get in there. Part of me just wishes it was here in the UK, and my reality is that I am here, and singing on the streets. Nowhere near the dream in my mind, but I still know. My dream will come true. I’m taking all the steps I need to do what my instinct tells me to do, even if it is scary as hell. It’s scarier for me not to listen and take action. It’s my inner gps system telling me where to go and what to do.

I have some good news. I’ve got my first theatre date for my Julie Andrews show. I wasn’t expecting it. Last week I was praying ‘please help me to get my show out there’ and a few days later it came to me. I went to sing in Lytham last Saturday. A friend was driving over and offered to drop me off there. She knew a great spot and it was perfect for what I do. A lovely square with benches and flowers. It’s always a bit nerve wracking when I rock up somewhere for the first time.

You don’t know if someone is going to move you on or how people will take it but I had a few people to support me and that helped (a fan James, who I met in the past in Hebden who turned up with another bunch of flowers). I also went to sing in Blackpool (the other end of the scale and a much poorer place), which also went great. A few people in Lytham mentioned a theatre called the Pavilion.

‘You should sing at the Pavilion here. It’s only a small theatre for 400 people’.

Only. Flipping eck. That’s taking things a notch up from my usual events. I was sat in the evening having dinner with a lady called Rose who just happened to know the guy who runs that theatre and a few days later I have a date for my first show. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!! Dreams coming true, but also absolutely (sat and tried to find a classier way to say this), shitting my pants too. I wasn’t expecting it so quickly, but now I have a deadline to have it ready and up which is good. Get my promo stuff together,

get my pianist sorted, work out what I am going to really do. My friend Claire says her husband who is a director can work with me for a couple of days and that will be a real help too. It has to be good if people are paying good money to come. It’s the copyright that I’m most worried about. Got to get that right. Disney got back to me and I have to submit a form with every detail of every song (how long for each song etc….). Where, how many people, will I use props etc……and it takes them 3 to 6 months to sort it out. I’m planning all this and have to but it’s not going to get sorted overnight. I wake in the night thinking about copyright and worrying I won’t get it sorted. It’s just new territory for me, but I will work it out and once I know, I know. I also have to do that with Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Loewe.

I just hope that what I have planned musically is allowed and I don’t have to make major changes to it, or that it doesn’t cost an absolute fortune. My friend Joe says to not worry. They want people to sing their songs and they can’t make it too expensive. Let’s hope so, but I won’t be ok with it inside until I know. It is so exciting too, but again I won’t settle inside until I know my show is ready to go. I got my first peak at my poster and was sending and showing it to everyone. I want to show people this is a proper show and the real deal. I mean business. It premiere’s on January 5th in Lytham, and I’m going to start contacting other theatres to see who else wants it. I’ll be interested to see where I am with it this time next year. One step at a time, or else it’s too overwhelming.

I just carry on. I was down in London singing there for a few days in the train stations. I was down to meet my Irish friend from New York who was going to fly in from Dublin for a few days but she decided not to come, and by then I was already down there. It’s good to have a change of scene anyway and I always do really well in Euston.

When you sing the same songs it helps me to do it in different places because I get energy from knowing that it’s different people listening, and if I go to one spot too often you are no longer a novelty. That’s happened in Hebden Bridge now so I’ll stop doing it now there for a while. I only have so many hours a week in me to do it on the streets so I need to make sure it will be fruitful, although I am totally grateful for anything that anyone contributes because it literally keeps me going. People say to me all the time:

‘You’re wasted here love’, and ‘What are you doing on the streets? Why are you not in a theatre? You should get on Britain’s got Talent’.

The reality is and has been for the last few years that if I don’t now do my own thing I have to find another career. Singing on the streets keeps me going. Doing my events keeps me going. I paid $8000 to an agent who has done virtually nothing for me. I’ve had 4 auditions in as many years. So I thank everyone who stops and listens and comes for a chat and puts something in my box.

You all make a difference to my life. You are helping me get my Julie show up and running because without having the money I can’t pay for posters and copyright and hire theatres and pay for pianists, and do it. Everything I have goes back into wherever I need to travel, my food and accommodation and keeping my singing going.

I’ve just been called by a guy who heard me in Ilkley who wants me to sing at The Addingham Beer Festival. Good. I need to be seen more and more and heard more and more. Networking, being heard, being seen, going somewhere. I am no longer happy to be staying still. These are the things I’ve got coming up too. My events……

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I’m off now. Getting the train to Manchester. It was my brothers birthday on Wednesday so he wants to go to a Lebanese place for food, so I’ll be doing that and then staying over at his. My landlady is also turning 60 and she’s organised an Anne Lister Shibden Hall shindig tomorrow afternoon, so I’m getting dressed up so I’m a bit manly (out some gel on my hair and slap I back etc….) and I’ll go and have a nice time there. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Nicola

P.s for more info and what’s coming up check out my website at www.iamnicolamills.com and follow me on Facebook at Nicola Mills Opera for the People. Subscribe to my blog too so you get the update straight to your email address.