Acadiana Talent: Fostering Musical Growth in Lafayette | Entertainment/Life

Nancy Nicholson is the founder of Acadiana Talent, a platform that serves performers of all ages in Acadiana. A Recording Academy member, Nicholson collaborates with local music professionals to cultivate and elevate talent in the area, offering artist development and management, booking services and artist consultations.

Acadiana Talent emphasizes networking, collaboration, mutual support and continuous learning with the mission to offer opportunities for artists to grow, perform, learn, connect and create.

Since its 2017 debut at Warehouse 535, Acadiana Talent has hosted showcases featuring hundreds of young artists, including some who have pursued professional paths. Youth showcases are currently held periodically, and performers under the age of 30 can share original music or covers. The organization runs an annual High School Battle of the Bands, with winners earning a slot at Festival International.

In June 2020, Nicholson began hosting Storytellers, a songwriter open mic at the Blue Moon Saloon in Lafayette that’s held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. For more information, visit www.acadianatalent.com.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.  

How did Acadiana Talent get its start? 

My son was writing music, and he was in a band. They couldn’t find a place to play. 

When I saw that, that’s when I started Acadiana Talent. I saw there was a need for them to have the opportunity, if they were in formal lessons, to do something different. And if they weren’t in any program, they could participate in this one for free. 

There are programs in schools, private lessons and great places like School of Rock and CYT, but all of those things dictate how you’re going to participate in this creative endeavor. Acadiana Talent lets you do your thing and is supported by a community of like-minded individuals. 

Why is it important for a community to have spaces where musicians can perform, experiment and grow?

My kids did some work with Simone Foreman, owner of Images Model & Talent Agency. She does Expo twice a year, and she takes a small group of kids to Dallas, where they meet with 50-60 agents who are looking for new talent. 

My son and daughter went, and I could see how all of these kids had so much fun sharing their gifts with each other and celebrating it with like-minded individuals. I thought, “Wow. We could really use that back home, because we have a lot of talent here.” 

I got involved with the South Louisiana Songwriters Festival at Blue Moon Saloon, and then I started a songwriters night. 

For kids, it supports the fact that they’re good. It also helps to let their parents know that they’re good, too — and they’re not wasting their time. Because other parents come up, saying, “Oh, your kid is so awesome.” It’s a little validation time, too. 

For the adults at songwriter night, it’s a validation time too. They get to try out new music, see how the crowd responds, and they get to meet each other. 

Then I started Jibber-Jabber Night, where you’re not allowed to talk during open mic nights. It’s original music, so it’s like a listening room. 

We live in a world where people so often feel like they have to fill the silence. We’re constantly worrying about ourselves, and rarely do we stop to sit down with our own thoughts in silence but especially in the company of others in silence. What impact do you think those silent open mic nights have?

It’s true. We think we have to fill the silence, and we don’t. Music is a healer. Music is a connection. When you hear the lyrics of someone’s song, you might connect with it — even though you didn’t have the same experience, you feel like you did because of what they just expressed. 

I really think that, in the silence, you’re able to connect even deeper because it’s not interrupted by words. It’s all thoughts. It’s amazing, that space, and it’s become very open, welcoming and nonjudgmental. It comes down to connecting —  the connection that people want to make with others. 

When a musician does step on the stage for the first time, no matter how old they are, what do you hope they feel? 

That adrenaline. I hope they feel like they got bit by the bug. I hope they feel like the audience received what they were trying to share. 

I hope they have a feeling of accomplishing, because it is a big accomplishment to get on that stage and perform. 

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In a place like Lafayette, how does music contribute to the city’s identity? 

Mostly, we’re identified by having Cajun, zydeco and Creole music. That’s wonderful, because it is a huge part of our identify, and a lot of music stems from those genres, but we aren’t just that. 

We have so much music here. 

We have metal bands, indie bands, rap. It’s amazing, the different genres of music that we have. In fact, we have a supply and demand problem here in Lafayette. We’ve got more supply than we have demand, and that’s why some of our musicians leave. 

Is there a solution to that? 

The city has done a study, the Lafayette Music Census Report, on the music economy here. That was led by Sami Parbhoo, project lead for the Lafayette Consolidated Government.

What came out of it was a couple of things. The music business structure, as far as recording studios and management, we have all of those elements. But it’s not as marketed. 

The other point they made was our youth programs. We do have a lot of youth programs, but they noted that the youth could be more supportive. We have great programs here, and Acadiana Center for the Arts does a lot in the school system to bring the arts out.