Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nori & Barbie Kelley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nori & Barbie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Nori – I started playing the guitar when I was 11 and started doing paying gigs when I was 13, so I began early and sort of continued on from there. I started writing when I was 17, doing recording sessions when I was 20 and recorded my first album at 21.
Barbie – I started playing piano and flute around age nine. In high school I played flute in the marching and concert bands in 9th grade. Then switched to trumpet in 10th and was in the marching, concert and jazz bands through 12th grade. I also sang in the concert choir in 11th grade. I dropped all music in college and flopped around like a fish out of water for three and a half years. Looking back, I can see that I was in a sort of depression. I finally came back around to music and I haven’t, can’t, and won’t walk away again.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Nori – Barbie & I have been married since 1993 and we began writing, recording and playing live long before then – it’s a big part of who we are and what we do. I think perseverance is what has brought us to where are today. We’ve always been indie artists, so we’ve had the freedom to express ourselves however we chose. We released our album “Shift” in 2022, and there was actually a great little review of it in Prog Magazine (www.loudersound.com/prog). We’ve also been receiving a degree of airplay in the UK for a few years now, and we’re heading over there for our second short tour in October/November this year, where we’re scheduled to do a couple of live radio concerts as well as some club gigs. If they’re interested, your readers can find “Shift” here: www.windworld.bandcamp.com/
Barbie – Nori and I have never fit into a box… our music, our lifestyle, the venues we’ve performed. We had two daughters early in our marriage and knew that we would be traveling, so we decided to homeschool our daughters. We’ve played in clubs, restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, churches, youth groups and on mission trips. Our girls went almost everywhere that we went. We’ve played cover and original songs in restaurants/clubs over the years, but as we have written more and more originals, every other song in our sets are original, and they seem to go over well.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Nori – For me, the creative process itself is often its own reward – transferring something from my head to “tape,” or digital recording, and then hearing the finished mix can be pretty cool. Another one of the most rewarding things about writing & releasing music is having someone else recognize and truly appreciate our work, whether it be the musicianship, the lyrics or the music we’ve written.
Barbie – I love watching people connect with our songs. Over the years I’ve looked out and seen people singing, clapping, dancing… watching someone in tears as they relate to the lyrics while singing along. I would say that what I find is most rewarding about being a creative is watching people in the audience connect with the Creator.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Nori – Early on, I was pretty insecure about myself and the gift of music God gave me. I was raised in a home where my parents didn’t encourage me in my talent – in fact, I was discouraged from pursuing a music career. Don’t get me wrong, my mom & dad were wonderful people in many ways and they loved me, but I don’t think they understood…and to be honest, rock music was still in it’s formative years in the early 70’s.
I would encourage parents to get behind their kids’ gifts & talents, give them all the support you can. You never know what their future holds, and a lot of their security lies in the kind of support given to them in their formative years by their parents.
Barbie – I didn’t graduate with a music degree, so I have felt insecure around other accomplished musicians at times. A few years ago we had a band of incredible musicians. During that time, I realized that each person in the band had great strengths! But they also had their weaknesses. When I realized that some of my strengths were their weaknesses, I saw that each one of us are unique musicians, uniquely created. I realized that each of us had a piece of the puzzle, and when we came together, we created a beautiful picture. Some of us have God-given gifts that we have never had to work for. At that time, this point was really driven home – it was time that I stopped comparing myself to other musicians.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://windworld.bandcamp.com/music
- Instagram: windmail77
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/windmusic.us
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqwjqFsUkEWLy29ntnYk80w
Image Credits
Cynthea Kelley, Heather Mappin