Editor's note: BostInno's 3rd annual State of Innovation brings together more than 1,000 business leaders and professionals for keynotes from high-profile speakers, cutting-edge panel discussions with industry leaders, engaging workshops and endless networking opportunities. This year, the forum will focus on defining what is required to fuel Boston's growth as a leader in innovation. Alumni Impact awards will be handed out as well–nominations close Friday, May 29.
Like most successful people, Nicole Fichera is not defined solely by her work.
True, her nine-to-five is both notable and fulfilling. As the general manager at District Hall, she's tasked with bringing people together and pushing the envelope on innovation in a city that's becoming synonymous with the term. As she told us back in July, she is "fascinated by the connection between innovation and space." It's one of the reasons BostInno chose her as a 2014 Alumni Impact award winner.
But when she's not hosting foreign delegations or getting to know the next big startup, you might find her singing on the subway platform at Davis Square, plucking away at her guitar through Bob Dylan covers or original tunes of her own.
Turns out, performing in public informs her work, and vice versa. I chatted with Nicole recently to learn more about her hobby, how she got into it, and the highs and lows that come with truly putting yourself out there.
AEW: How long have you been a licensed subway performer? What's that process like?
NF: I've been a licensed performer for about a year now. It was always a goal of mine to do it, because subway music is one of my absolute favorite things about living in the city–just took me a while to convince myself to overcome my fear and just do it!
The process itself didn't take very long at all–just fill out a form and drop it off at the MBTA office, pay $25 and they put your photo on a neat little badge. Then you're official! It took much longer to get my nerve up to do it in the first place than to get the license itself.
What do you play? How long have you been doing it?
I sing and play guitar, a mix of covers and originals. Some covers are oldies folk and rock (Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Leonard Cohen), some soul (Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin), some newer things (Amanda Palmer, Black Keys, The Little Willies).
I'm doing more and more of my own songwriting now–I've worked on it a lot! If you're interested in songwriting, I highly recommend reading "Writing Better Lyrics" by Berklee professor Pat Pattison, and doing all the exercises. It was transformative for me.
Is there a spot or spots you prefer to perform? How often do you perform in public?
There are dedicated spots for performers at each station, so you have to find one that's available. I play at Davis Square mostly, but I've been moving around more! Just played South Station a few days ago. Every station has a different vibe, different acoustics. The acoustics at Davis are fantastic and resonant, especially since I play with no amplifiers–just me and my guitar.
Any horror stories you could share? Or particular moments of triumph?
Definitely no horror stories! Playing in the subway is therapeutic, relaxing, energizing for me. I meet wonderful people–people will stop and tell me about their favorite music, they will dance, little kids will come up and try to play my guitar for me. One woman gave me a rose the other day, and then I gave the rose to someone else later. This city is full of wonderful, warm people.
Does your music interest bleed in to your day-to-day at District Hall at all? Are there shared skills between the two gigs?
Sure! I think there are lots of parallels. I'm a designer by training, and I'm interested in creating spaces that help people come out of their shells, whether that is dancing in the subway or pitching a new idea to a potential partner. Space should give us energy and make us feel safe.
Music has a transformative quality in a subway station: All of a sudden, a utilitarian, crammed space can feel alive, and a mundane commute can become a memory. When I'm working on designing or creating something, I'm always thinking about how it will make people feel, and hopefully they will feel calm, confident, brave, special, connected. Our environments have a lot of impact on our confidence and our ability to feel inspired.
And of course ... any performance vid you could share?
If you want to check out my original music, I have some tracks posted on Soundcloud, and I'm recording some more this weekend, so check back soon! You can find links and a video on my (newly minted!) Facebook music page: https://www.facebook.com/nicoleficheramusic.
Images provided.
