Today we’d like to introduce you to Nate Chivers.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I am originally from the Springfield area of Massachusetts and began the guitar at 13 years old. The moment I started playing, I couldn’t stop and practiced all day, every day. I always scour magazines, books, and the internet for new music, genres, and techniques. This musical wanderlust comes from my Dad is a fan of show tunes, and my Mom is listening to Alt-Rock, so I already grew up listening to an eclectic assortment of music.
Also, early in my playing, I discovered a little YouTube website. In the early days, and even now, if you know how to look, it’s a treasure trove for performances, demonstrations, and weird, creative techniques and ideas. An important moment was when I watched Funtwo’s ‘Canon Rock’ a rock version of Pachelbel’s Canon in D. That, along with his version of Vivaldi’s 3rd Movement of “Summer’ got me hooked on Classical music. From there, I learned as much as possible about classical music and music theory, including reading textbooks. It all culminated in writing a piece for my high school wind ensemble.
From there, I studied at the Berklee College of Music, getting a BMus in composition studying under Panagiotis Liaropoulos. I then got a Master’s and Ph.D. supervised by Steven Daverson and Mauricio Pauly at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK. While getting my Ph.D., my parents and brother moved to the Orlando area, and while I love Manchester and the people there, I decided living near my family was more important. I moved here in January 2023 and realized I made the right decision. I have been playing my original compositions for guitar, writing arrangements for the Central Florida Community Arts Big Band and Orchestra, and gigging around playing with bands and artists. I am also starting to interact with the Composers of the Central Florida Composers Forum.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wonder if any artist has had a smooth road. If they had one, the road would lead to nowhere. There’s always uncertainty and anxiety in being an artist, and there are many times where you ask yourself, “Why? Why are you doing this? Is it worth it?” and eventually, you realize you do it because it’s worth it. There are frustrations and times when the rewards are meager at best, but the journey and process always affirm itself. But, as with anyone, I’ve had to learn to deal with people’s personalities. I am learning to compromise and know when to take my losses and cut them out. I also had to learn to deal with a lot of rejection. It’s part of the occupation, so you learn how to learn from it, even if it never feels good. A big challenge was the Ph.D. itself. There was a lot of chaos and disorganization in my supervisory team, and problems with my ADHD started to come about for the first time in a long time. But I eventually passed, though I now have massive reservations about arts academia and academia in general.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I pride myself on my versatility, so I have my hands on a few things. My most personal artistic project/endeavor is writing and performing my original compositions for guitar. I use unorthodox techniques and sounds, yet somehow familiar and intimate sounding. The music is unique, and it’s hard to explain what it sounds like, but it shows my influences of Jazz, Classical, Rock, etc. Yet it doesn’t sound like that at all. People who have me perform describe how much of a ‘unique experience’ it is and how the music ‘tells a story.’ I am also an arranger for the Central Florida Community Arts Big Band and Orchestra. I am known for the wide range of genres I can write in and how fun and creative they are. I am also currently working with a UCF Music Theory Professor on composing for microtonal guitar. We are in the beginning stages, and we are already excited about what the possibilities are. I am a trained classical composer equally adept in modernist/avant-garde techniques and mainstream classical and popular music styles. I am equally comfortable writing for a rock band as I am for a symphony orchestra. One of the coolest projects I did in school was arranging for the Manchester Video Game Orchestra, where I paired a rock band with an orchestra. As a guitarist known for versatility, I am equally adept in Jazz, Rock, R&B, and contemporary classical styles.
Please talk to us about happiness and what makes you happy.
Artistic challenges. I love it when someone allows me to do something weird, off-kilter, and seemingly impossible. I must call upon all my experience and develop new ideas and strategies. I also like collaborating with good people. Doing the artistic process with someone else brings joy and happiness. Often, the artistic outcome is greater than the sum of its parts, as they say.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nchiverscomposer.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nchiversmusic/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-nate-chivers-7a5130b7
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMi7_93jhvKY6eoGCWmLE0A
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/nate-chivers
Image Credits
Abhishek Kodaganallur, Pichumani Eldad, Diamante Courtney Thomassen, Neil Winward, Andrea Terzuoli
