It’s that time to get going again but I don’t know about you, it feels like a wrench. This time last week I was in Seville and in ‘switch off’ mode. It doesn’t happen very often, where I get to just switch off and not care for a bit. I could go out and sit in cafes, restaurants, drink wine and just not care about my voice for a few days.

It hardly ever happens now. Real time out. I love what I do, but I could easily have more time out and not care, but I’m back to it this week. It was great though in Seville. I loved it. A really down to earth friendly city. I loved seeing Rosina’s balcony from Rossini’s ‘The Barber of Seville’, and the tavern where Mozart stayed that inspired him to write his opera ‘Don Giovanni’, and last but not least, the cigarette factory where Carmen worked. Very exciting for me. I was there for a friends birthday so we had great food and a good laugh, and the flamenco up close was amazing.

It’s been really frustrating recently though vocally. I got a cough in November and it knocked my voice for six, and then I had the Christmas run trying to catch up with myself, another mini cold, singing over Christmas, and then last week in Seville, and I’m still coughing a bit. I seem to be sensitive to chemicals too. Jon’s deodorant goes right down my throat and makes me cough too. I can’t have perfumes around me either and cleaning chemicals make me wheeze too. A bit of a nightmare really. I just want my voice fully back now. No more coughing and no more tickle in my throat. It’s got to the point now where I walk into a room and can tell straightaway if something is irritating my throat. No smelly candles etc… they are really bad. I was meant to be singing in a school tomorrow afternoon but have asked if we can reschedule. I cannot sit ANYMORE (and I mean I just cannot do this to myself any flipping more), worrying about whether my voice is ok. A cough is a nightmare to have. Unless things are working properly I can’t sing properly, so I’m doing admin stuff today and getting planned for things and resting my voice as I’m back out singing on Wednesday, Friday and then ‘A Spoonful of Julie’ in Glusburn on Saturday. I wrote this late last night so have waited to post until now and I’ve had to reschedule the Glusburn show. Still not vocally fully ok to do a full show (boohoo). Got to wait until I am ok, so it will be back in June.

Things are ramping up too. I’m glad. I have more bookings already for this year than I did this time last year and my name is getting about. I have Keri Sparkes on board now too who is my manager (I HAVE A FREAKING MANAGER PEEPS, WOOHOO!!!!!), and doing what she can to create some new opportunities. Keri got in touch with me last year after I posted on Facebook saying I was tired of doing everything on my own and wanted some help. Her mate who has a coffee van outside the train station in Todmorden told Keri I needed help and then Keri got in touch with me. It’s taken a while but we first chatted in September and then she came to watch me sing, and we’ve had a chat and are seeing what we can do together. She manages another group called Mr. Wilson’s Second Liners and fancies a new challenge with me. I’m glad I had a moan on facebook that day. That post got me a manager and an invite to sing in Crete. Ha ha. Great. Watch for some more rants then. See what they will get me. It’s good to be real and not give out that it’s all going so well all the time, because there are times it’s shit too.

We have been working on some new marketing too as my last video for ‘Opera for the People’ was from me singing in lockdown for people and it doesn’t really show who I am and what I’m doing now. I got Tom Rust from Trusty Films to do it. I trust him totally with what I am doing and sang for his mum in lockdown too. Special memories. Check it out if you haven’t already seen what we did.

And here’s the new header. Trying to get things looking a bit more ‘with the peeps’. Victoria Wood meets Pavarotti (we all know I’m no Pav but you get the drift).

I have loved having some time off. The Christmas run was really busy and I’m so pleased with all that I did. I know that all the time I’m singing for more and more people and then my card gets passed on and it’s generating more opportunities. I just have to learn to pace myself now, because if not it causes me too much stress and worry, and then that’s not worth it. I have also said no to some stuff too. Not been in the position to do that before but I just need to be ok and can’t take on too much. I chatted to a friend recently who sang on cruise ships for years and at The Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne and a whole array of top opera houses. He’s looking towards more coaching and teaching now and loves it, but says he doesn’t miss the constant stress of looking after his voice. Sooooooooo true. I’m going to love however many years I’ve got left doing this as there will come a point where I can’t do it anymore, and a part of me looks forward to the time when I don’t have to think about it and make sure I’m always ok. I did a singing workshop in Glusburn on Saturday and said to the ladies there that I’m a hermit most of the time. I go for walks in the woods with my dog, make bread and whatever else keeps me busy in the kitchen, spend time with Jon, and then I’m out singing. Socialising has to be where it’s not noisy and no strain on my voice. The life of a vocal athlete. I love this life and this is what I’ve chosen to do, so I have no regrets at all.

So let’s see what this year brings. I was ready for a new chapter the second half of last year. I was tired of doing it all alone. I knew I needed some help. I’d just reached a point where I just mentally couldn’t keep pushing myself forward anymore. Since I started singing lessons at the age of 15 and then really got into it I’ve been the one pushing myself forward ever since. Music college, finding work, opera houses, moving from place to place, keeping a roof over my head, stress, worry, driving myself, rejection, taking risks, competition, never feeling good enough, over to New York with no fixed address for nearly 2 years, singing on the streets, starting ‘Opera for the People’, lockdown and all the singing, starting again after that, flyers through doors, calling people, hiring venues, doing it ALL!!!!! Enough!!!

I need to ride the wave now from all the devotion and hard work now. My time is here. Here we go and bring it on. I love what I do and I’ve worked hard to love what I do. If me and Keri can get it moving onwards and upwards I will be thrilled. Living my dream. My dream was to sing for people and my dream to get bigger and make a name for myself and do the mission I came here to do in this lifetime.

I’m going to update my website in the next week with new dates for this year of where I’m singing, but if you fancy some Valentines cheesiness, come to hear me at Back o th hill farm, Storiths, Skipton (at the back of Bolton Abbey in a gorgeous gem of a place that me and Jon stayed in last year)on the 16th February. With gorgeous sharing platters and a pop up bar, with moi doing my thing it will be a reet lovely night.
I’m still waiting to hear about the Proms I will be doing with the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra. I think there will be two this year, so that’s exciting too, and I may be singing at a festival. Just a maybe with that one so far. I want to thank anyone reading this who has been to see me, supported me, passed my name on because you have helped me, and I needed that help. Team Nicola. Thanks so much.

And on another note, me and Jon are getting married. We decided together to make it official. In September. Something small and private. We drive each other nuts at times but I knew from the first time I met him he was my fella. Let’s have a toast. Team Jon and Nick. http://www.iamnicolamills.com