CHELSEA CARMICHAEL

5 QUESTIONS CHELSEA CARMICHAEL

WHO ARE YOU?

I am Chelsea Carmichael - I am a saxophonist and composer. I'm from Manchester, grew up in Warrington, and live in SE London.

WHAT DO YOU DO?

I play and write music which includes jazz and improvised music. I also play in other bands, collaborate for one-off projects, educate, and generally get involved with musicality and art in as many ways as I can.

WHY DO YOU DO IT?

I think the 'why' has changed throughout the years, and I'm reaching a much more enlightened place with that now. Foremost, I do it because I love it. There are some seriously hard things about being a musician these days but being able to play creative music, and exchange energy in the way that we do on stage, with other musicians and audiences, on a regular basis, is something so unique to this craft and is something I give thanks for all the time.

I'm trying to renegotiate my relationship with my ego when it comes to approaching my technical ability and improvement on the instrument. I really appreciate excellence and want to be excellent - and I'm so inspired by it, but now I'm looking at the reasons why I want to be excellent at what I do. Essentially from my perspective, when we get in front of an audience the music is for them - and we play in the hopes that someone connects with the sound and it provides healing, and/or joy. And we enjoy the process of giving in that moment. So I also do it because I want to be good at it - and to continue to strive towards excellence so I am able to heal better, provide joy better, and give better. All these things are concepts and not definitive definitions, and I'm comfortable with my own interpretations of those concepts

WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW?

I'm currently on tour with Theon Cross at the moment out in the EU - we are just coming towards the end of the first stretch and then back to London for a couple days before the next leg. I'm about to release a record too - my first release is coming out next week so I'm preparing myself for what's to come once that is out in the world. I'm playing a lot between now and Christmas with various different projects, gigs, and bands - and I absolutely love the variety of that. I am also lecturing/ workshopping/educating at a couple of universities right now - and I'm really enjoying that at the moment. I'm also in the process of setting up a new music residency, and in the beginning stages of mapping out a commission for a UK jazz festival - there's a lot going on right now but I am feeling fulfilled.

WHAT'S THE HOT TOPIC?

There might be 'hot topics' but I don't subscribe to them or acknowledge them as I don't base my music taste on fads, what is fashionable, what other people like/are talking about or what's 'in'. I stay in my own lane, like the music I like, and have respect for what others are doing..

"The River Doesn't Like Strangers" is out on 22nd October and I really hope people enjoy it. We are working on some dates, so sign up to Native Rebel Recordings mailing list, follow them on Instagram and Twitter, and I'll be updating my own website too - my first announcements for all things is on Instagram so follow me there. It's about to go down.