Marie Fielding - Monthly Profile
Tell us a little about yourself - who you are, where you’re from, what you do…
Hi. My name is Marie Fielding and I was delighted when BIT Collective asked me to share a few stories about myself and what I have been up to.
I’m an Edinburgh girl, born in the 60’s with my 2 brothers. I am in the middle child, so tended to be the bossy one growing up! My school life was challenging. I attended 4 different High Schools due to house moves because my late father was a builder and loved to renovate old buildings and like me, needed a new project as soon as one was finished. I taught myself fiddle just before I left Primary School, playing along to records of all genres. I still remember the feeling of making sounds and tunes on my own. I think I loved it before I even tried it and how it made me feel, trying to express emotion every time I played. My first gig age 11, set me up to become obsessive about learning, creating and collaborating. Those feelings have stayed with me throughout my career. My dad was a professional singer for a while and he whistled or sang every day of his life in the house. I can still hear him and he had a huge impact on me musically .
My great grandparents were Irish. Mayo and Dungloe to be precise. I feel a strong connection towards them, not only for Irish music, but their attitude to a hard working life, making the most of what they had during hard times. After leaving school, I worked full time as a musician. To fill my days, I studied Early Years Education and Creativity and owned my own Pre -School Nursery for a while in Edinburgh. After having my own 2 children, I returned to education with Falkirk Council and at present, I lecture part time at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. My main roles are fiddle and performance. I feel extremely connected to my work with the students and have a holistic approach to teaching.
Hobbies……I love cooking…nothing fancy…recently I’ve been making oatcakes of all kinds! I’m also into art and paint most days, usually abstract landscapes of Scotland, as well as ceramics, photography and following the property market.
I married late in life but that’s worked out well for me. My husband fully supports my career and crazy ideas.
What have you been doing recently? How has Covid19 changed things for you?
I am a “projects person”, so I always have something on the go. I find it difficult to relax, and having plans, challenges, aims, goals etc to think about, really helps me to focus and feel productive. During Covid I have worked with Marissa Waite, creating a new web site. I have just started an Etsy page for arty things and I completed a Mentoring qualification this year, as part of Tradmentor, organised by T.M.S.A, which has been so rewarding.
I released an album in June this year during Lockdown. The Spectrum Project, which has a more minimal approach than my previous recordings, relying on myself rather than others, to create the sounds and moods. This album has given me a sense of ownership and deep understanding about where I am in life and music. I am very relaxed about things like rehearsals and practise and thrive on “in the moment’ situations for some reason.
What else? I’ve started using Instagram but I’m not great at it. I walk most days and try to capture where I go with a photo which may or may not inspire me at some point. The Lockdown and continuing challenges of Covid have had an impact on my sense of freedom and energy. However, I feel quite resilient in life and tend to save my energy to help others. I miss having contact with my daughter Aimee but we find ways to overcome that. I am quite a content person, so in some ways, nothing has changed but professionally, I certainly feel semi- retired!
Finally, I have bought a kiln and plan to get going with that even although I don’t have a clue how to use it. I need a new challenge and I love taking risks.
What are the most notable points/events in your career? (Good or bad!)
Apart from giving birth to two wonderful human beings, I would say working full time, as a self- employed musician from age 17 has been my most rewarding point and still is. I’ve had to learn “on the job” as I didn’t study music at all. When I was young, I didn’t think much about what I didn’t know…it was more “what do I need to know?”. Secondly, joining the team at R.C.S has changed my life as an educator. It is an honour to contribute to the journey my students take, as they find their way in life and music in such a supportive and robust Traditional Music Department.
I am very proud that I have self- funded a few albums on my own record label and also published 3 tune books. I have been nominated a few times for awards and won some but this does not drive me to be successful. I simply have a need to express myself and I try not to rely on others as this would not be realistic for me. I simply trust my instincts and love to contribute to the scene, sharing my thoughts and music, hopefully leaving a legacy behind. Art has also become a passion of mine and I now have a shed in my garden. A place to create or think.
I feel I have only just touched the surface as a musician, in terms of what I want to do as a soloist, finding out more about what I sound like, the possibilities that I have not explored yet on my own, hearing myself and my sound, interpreting tunes and always searching for the story and mood.
I try to be positive in life and put others first. Sometimes, that has led to situations where I should have put myself first and reached out for help. I did not have the courage or experience to speak up for myself as a young girl, amongst older men. Some situations were worse than others, leaving me feeling I had to accept or go along with what was expected of me. I didn’t know how to say no, stop, react and reach out for help, show my disagreement, fears and verbalise them. I kept it all to myself, leading to isolation, low self- esteem, lack of friends, drinking too much, loneliness, fear, not eating, no purpose in life…..I could go on. I hid behind my fiddle. Most of this information has never been public knowledge until now so please don’t feel sorry for me. Yes, as I type this I feel anxious about sharing this with you and sometimes, I still blame myself. I can look back now, saying I survived. But I shouldn’t have to say that. I felt used but should not have felt used. Yes, It’s made me a stronger individual and I am old enough now to look out for myself, but it will always be there in my head. Being a very young and naive female in the industry was not my problem, it was the problem of what was accepted as normal behaviour.
Be true to yourself, value yourself, protect yourself. Reach out and talk, don’t keep it, whatever “it “ is, to yourself. It matters. You matter.
Who are your top 3 inspirational women? They would have to be real people in my life rather than icons.
My 25 year old daughter Aimee, who is a Nutritionist for N.H.S has worked hard to get where she is. She is vibrant, embraces life and inspires me every day.
My boss from Falkirk Council, Liz Rose. Liz understood my thinking and approach in Early Years Education which was holistic and her knowledge and enthusiasm was epic. We still keep in touch.
My closest friends whom I will not name, mean everything to me. We all have a deep understanding of each other even although we are all so different. Respect and love them all for who they are.
What’s the first record/album you ever bought?
I bought a Davy Spillane LP, called Atlantic Bridge. Not sure it was my first as I had cassettes …(yes I am old) but it is the most memorable and my introduction to the uilleann pipes and realisation of how powerful composition is. To this day, that is the instrument I react most to.
Who are you listening to most right now?
Right now the answer would be my students at R.C.S. A huge part of my role is to listen. It gives a platform for the student to perform, share and create, question and reflect. (My favourite thing is listening.) I use a lot of energy in my teaching, so silence is golden too. Otherwise, Lene Marlin a Norwegian singer and various Trad tracks. I am a bit of a piping geek too….
Any advice for aspiring musicians?
Find your own way, your own sound, in your own time. Accept who you are and what you do and embrace that you are unique. Learn as many skills as you can. Right now, we have been separated from collaboration, face to face conversations, gigs, and so on. There are always ways of finding new strategies in life to keep us afloat but sometimes we just have to accept that every day may not a productive day. Being productive can simply be being alive. Be kind to yourself. Find a wee hobby, get outdoors, buy a plant, grow some herbs, don’t rely on social media all the time. Being obsessional about your music can often break beyond your goals and reach new levels. If you can balance that with every- day life, you are on the right track.. Be inspired by others and respect others. Love yourself.
Marie
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marie.fielding.58
Instagram: @fieldingmarie
Web: www.mariefieldingmusic.com
Bandcamp: mariefielding.bandcamp.com
Video: https://vimeo.com/451781487/571e500b0c (IN TUNE WITH NATURE. My winning entry for this is a composition set to a film of Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve, sponsored by Féis Rois.)
