We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vicky Warwick. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vicky below.
Hi Vicky, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
How did you learn to do what you do?
College isn’t a ‘must’ for someone in the arts, but I am very glad I attended a music college in London. It was a small contemporary school with courses in vocals, guitar, drums, bass, and keyboards—I earned my Bachelor of Music in Popular Music Performance on my first instrument, bass guitar. Studying there made me hone in on my technical skills and learn new ones, such as music production and arranging. It also provided the elusive ‘foot in the door’ to the music industry—I took a break from my studies to work at a successful English production company, Xenomania, acting as their in-house bassist. The audition came about because the company scouted musicians from the school: they wanted young musicians to play shows alongside the up-and-coming artists they were developing. It was an unbelievable opportunity: at least six solid hours a day playing, gigs with various artists, a chance to develop a flexible musical discipline, experienced producers working at the company to learn from, and paid work 5-6 days a week. Oh, and an in-house Spanish cook who would feed us with the best butter-laden hot lunches three times a week. I was working my first ‘real’ job as a bass player, and I’d hit the jackpot. My Mum and Dad must have been happy – they were supportive of my career choice, but getting a job with this sense of security right of the gates painted a particularly wonderful picture of the music industry.
It was a rather false sense of security—I learned quickly that things in this industry are always subject to change. After nine months, they no longer needed me at the company. I decided I should go back to college and finish my final year. I felt this huge advantage returning to college with real-world experience and some big shows under my belt, and I could approach my studies with this in mind. I had met so many people through working at Xenomania. I gained such valuable experience that London’s musician contractors could trust me for other gigs. I learned everything from doing more gigs and built more confidence and awareness of what I needed to do on the job each time. Over the years, I figured out the most sought-after skills to have in addition to my bass playing and honed in on them: backing singing, synth bass playing, keyboard playing, and sound design. I took lessons and kept practicing. It sounds corny, but the wonderful thing about being a musician is that the learning never stops. It never gets boring.
Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process?
I don’t think there is a way to speed up the learning process since it’s all about gaining experience—I always said yes to opportunities as much as possible, and I still do. That’s the important thing for young musicians: making sure you’re getting out there. One thing I could have done more, and probably could still do more, is force myself out of my comfort zone. Something I wish I had done more after finishing college is to continue to take more private lessons. I’m trying to do this more often now! After college, I remember thinking I had all the necessary tools—not that I didn’t have improvements to make—but I thought I knew the steps I needed to take to get there. Now, I realize that so much about music isn’t just technical: it’s past experience, and the music someone has been exposed to that can bring a different perspective on how to approach music. It’s seeing a new way to use the tools you have or discovering completely new ones completely. There are many road maps of how to play, write, or produce music, but we all approach things slightly differently. Now, I love to learn from other musicians and discover these different approaches. After college, I definitely did not know it all–and never will! I think that’s why musicians and creatives always strive for more.
What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Good technical skills are essential to being a successful touring musician, but there are many other necessary skills that take years of experience to garner. It’s not just the muscle memory, the speed at which my fingers could move if I work on it enough. It’s been years of experience, mostly learning when to shut up and not play. When not to let ego or excitement get in the way and play something over-the-top. When to crack a joke if it’s been a long travel day to a show and group morale is down. I think that’s why people get hired in this industry: not just technical skill but awareness of what to bring to the table to do the best job. Whether that’s shutting up and listening, being able to provide creative ideas, or playing something with feeling and passion. Caring deeply about every job and always looking for ways to improve is of the highest importance—it feels cliché to say, but I think it bears repeating. I believe the obstacles that stand in the way are problems you have yet to overcome—the lessons you haven’t learned yet. I really believe the thing that makes you the best musician or creative is exposing yourself to as many experiences as possible, coming at them with an open mind, and noticing what you learn each time.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a British musician based in Los Angeles. I provide touring and recording services mainly as a bass player, synth bass player, and backing vocalist. I’ve worked in the music industry for over a decade with some wonderful clients, including Charli XCX, Hailee Steinfeld, Big Time Rush, blackbear, Matt Maltese, Hope Tala, and Tom Bailey (The Thompson Twins). My work has led me to perform on notable TV shows such as SNL, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Today Show, The American Music Awards, The MTV Movie Awards, Top of the Pops (UK), Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. I’ve also had the privilege of playing at many prestigious venues and festivals around the world, including Madison Square Garden, The Forum, The O2 Arena, Governors Ball Festival, Lollapalooza Festival, Glastonbury Festival, The Greek, and Wembley Stadium. It’s been a very nice time! I’m thankful for all these incredible experiences.
I love to write and record original music, too. I have a passion for music journalism: I am a guest writer at www.bassmagazineonline.com, conducting interviews with fellow bass players. I also interview other touring musicians on my website, www.whereareweagain.com – it’s soon to become a podcast, so watch this space and follow https://www.instagram.com/whereareweagainblog for updates. It aims to share behind-the-scenes stories told by touring musicians and crew and pull back the curtain on what goes on backstage. So many people are involved in making a show happen, and I want to tell all their stories.
Music education is another big passion—I love delivering masterclasses to music college students. I share with them everything it took me years to figure out in this industry–hopefully, things that might help fast-track them to the gigs they want to land. I have led masterclasses at the Musicians Institute in LA, ICMP in London, and various BIMM Music colleges in the UK.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative?
In the past, I sometimes ruminated on how my job felt like it didn’t ‘help’ anyone—thinking I should work in healthcare or social work instead. Of course, that would be a great thing to do, but now I realize how essential the arts are for people, too. People need live music, theater, art exhibitions, books, film. I think these art forms help people navigate life, and living in a world without them would be difficult and rather dull. Music can push all your feelings to the front of your chest. Sometimes, they brim up at the top of your throat. It can bring happiness and a sense of connection. The most rewarding thing is seeing it in the faces of the audience members each night I perform. I see those feelings brim over and escape in screams and singing. I watch people clutching each other, crying, laughing—a whole sea of emotions. I feel incredibly fortunate that I get to witness that. Then, I get applauded for doing my job! It’s not lost on me how that’s mutually strange and wonderful. I try to appreciate the wonderfulness of it.
Big Time Rush, the band I have been working with a lot over the last couple of years, has an amazing fan base. Many young females come to their shows, and I’m so happy when I meet fans who tell me I’ve inspired them. I know from writing my university dissertation about the lack of female musicians in popular music performance that role models are a huge part of inspiring the next generation of females. Just seeing female/trans/non-binary genders in workplaces that males have previously dominated will have such a positive impact on encouraging these genders to enter them. The point is not to overthrow the men (!!) but to widen the pool of people who, if right for the job, can enter that workplace comfortably, without fear of mistreatment. I remember the female musicians I admired when attending my first concerts, and—it’s hard to say this part without sounding like I have an ego, but I mean it humbly—it’s fantastic to think I might be doing that for someone now. I hope to make it easier for the next generation of musicians.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I imagine many non-creatives don’t fully understand what it means to work in a creative industry. I think it’s hard to grasp any industry unless you’ve worked in it. There are likely two main perspectives. One sees a glamorous career involving lots of swanning around and having a nice time. The other is the trope of the ‘struggling artist.’ I get this image of someone lying in bed, all “woe is me,” eating a tiny bowl of rice while waiting to be called for their next job. These are two ends of the scale, though there is so much gray area in the middle. It’s good days, bad days, and all the other days you work away at it in between.
I’m seeing more people open up about the honest day-to-day life of being creative on social media, which is refreshing. People don’t see the time spent working as your own agent, bookkeeper, marketer, social media manager, website builder, and the rest. It’s how it goes—and I’m not complaining—but being an incredibly self-motivated one-person show is not always easy. The lows seem to stretch until the end of time, while the highs feel life-affirming. The spectrum is vast.
What helps me through the difficult moments is knowing that I’m being true to myself. I know in my gut that when I’m on a stage, l am exactly where I want to be.
You do have to enjoy even the struggles of it—there is a writer, Mark Manson, who has written about this well. (https://markmanson.net/question) He wanted to be a rockstar when he was a teen, but when it came to lugging his equipment to gigs around town to shows where nobody came, he hated the “drudgery” of it. He knew he wouldn’t enjoy climbing the ladder’s lower rungs to reach the top of it. So, he reassessed and realized the life of a rock star wasn’t for him. I’ve done so many gigs where 2 people came, and we didn’t get paid, but I knew it was part of this ongoing ladder you climb when you work in a creative field. I think chutes and ladders might be a better metaphor for this industry! You learn to keep at it; it’s just part of the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sheplaysbass.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheplaysbass/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vickywarwickmusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/vicky_warwick
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@she_plays_bass
- Other: blog and upcoming podcast: https://whereareweagain.com/ https://www.instagram.com/whereareweagainblog
Image Credits
credits in file name. Paris Visone Reed Schick Aaron Gatewood Eloise Campbell