Today we’d like to introduce you to Wind / Nori & Barbie Kelley

Hi Wind /, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

Barbie – We got married in 1993 and immediately began writing, playing & recording music together, both in secular and church settings. I was in a band with my brother before we met. We were on a southeast tour when we met Nori and ended up recording a project with him some months later. That’s when our relationship started.

Nori – I had been writing, performing and recording as a solo artist since the late 70’s as well as being a session musician. So it was basically a match made in heaven, so to speak.

We’ve done 17 albums and EPs, plus there are a few separate recordings we did before, as well as a couple of projects Nori did for Mel Bay in the 90’s.

In past years we’ve had the privilege to take our music to Japan, Siberia, Mexico, Ireland, Scotland, England & Italy.

Presently, we travel in the U.S. some every year, as well as go on annual tours to both Japan and the U.K. We just returned from a tour in Japan where we played 12 times. We were in the UK last November where we did four shows – two live radio shows and two club shows. We plan to return to the U.K. this fall as well.

We are also worship leaders in a small church in southern Lancaster County, PA, where we’ve lived since 2020. Prior to this, we lived in Myrtle Beach, SC for nine years. We’ve lived in several places, including Japan twice.

Our latest album was released in 2022 and is called “Shift”. We’re currently working on our next project which should be released in October.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Barbie – That’s a funny question for a married couple, lol!  We both had a lot of adjusting to do, especially in our first year of marriage. We had a long distance relationship- Delaware and Alabama, 13 hours by car, to be exact. We got engaged after five weeks of long distance “dating” and married four months after that. In those days, our phone bills may have cost more than our wedding! Just kidding… Kind of. We had both, previously and separately, decided not to kiss our fiance on the lips until we heard, “You may kiss the bride.” By the grace of God, we made it! A month later I became pregnant, so we both adjusted some more. (And this Yankee girl had to get used to Alabama accents… and they had to get used to ME!)

Musically speaking, we hit the ground running, recording our first album, Out of Egypt, and playing gigs together. We started recording before we got married, and we used “The Wedding Suite” that Nori wrote (based on The Song of Solomon in the Bible) in our wedding. We also used the song “For Dad” from Out of Egypt for the Father/Daughter Dance at our reception. A couple of days later, I remember practicing for upcoming gigs on the balcony of our hotel on our honeymoon!

Giving in to each other’s ideas and strengths, and recognizing how we compliment one another took some adjusting, for me, at least. Now we both have such a deep trust in one another, it’s lots of fun to listen to the final results!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

Nori – We’re studio musicians as well as live musicians.  Barbie is a really gifted vocalist who can pick up on harmony in an instant.  She is also really good on the flute and hand percussion, and plays the acoustic guitar as well.  I’m good at playing the guitar, and can also play bass & keyboards.  I also do production work such as editing & mixing.  As far as what I’m most proud of, I guess I’m proud of our last several albums – maybe the ones we’ve done in the last ten years or so.

We also do a good bit of touring. We’re very thankful and blessed to be able to travel to both Japan and the UK on an annual basis and play our music, as well as in the U.S. We returned from Japan in May, where we played 12 times. We’re now preparing to do some dates in the U.S. followed by a UK tour in November. Our good friend, Shane Faux-Dugan, has been traveling with us doing backing vocals and that’s been a great addition to our live sound. Shane is also doing some backing vocals on our new project.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?

Nori – For me, it’s keeping up with my relationship with God. As a christian, that affects everything I am and everything I do. My hope is to live a life of integrity, and we’ve actually gotten a lot of push back for that over the years… ”Why be unique? Why not be like everybody else?” Someone once told me something like, “Musicians are a dime a dozen, but there is only one you.” That can apply to each one of us.

Another aspect has been the process of learning to operate in my gifting.  I’m good at what I do, but I may not be good at what someone else is gifted in.  I had to realize that over time – trying to focus on the areas where I’m gifted and just allowing everyone else to do what they’re gifted at.

Barbie – I agree with Nori. My music career as an adult began when I was on a church retreat and was searching for my purpose in life. I was a college student but had no idea what to major in. During the retreat, I was alone on the beach, and I felt like I heard the answer to my question. “I want you to do music, and I want you to do it for Me.”  I had grown up playing piano, flute and trumpet, and I always loved to sing. But I had dropped music completely in college. I was like a fish out of water. When I heard this voice in my head/heart, I was so happy! It felt right. I felt like me. It’s funny that we don’t always think to tap into the One who created us “on purpose, for a purpose.” I’m so glad that I did!  So, yeah, my relationship with Jesus is my first priority every day. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.reverbnation.com/windmusic
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/windmail77
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/windmusic.us
• Twitter: https://x.com/windmail2
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqwjqFsUkEWLy29ntnYk80w
• Other: https://windworld.bandcamp.com

Image Credits

Chris Griffiths, Heather Mappin, Cynthea Kelley