Louise is following her dream (From Salisbury Journal)

Louise is following her dream

9:26am Thursday 23rd February 2012 in Entertainments By Anne Morris

GIVING up a career in teaching to pursue your dream as a singer/songwriter might seem a bit rash in the current economic climate, but that is exactly what Louise Jordan has done.

By returning to her roots, Louise, 28, feels she can concentrate on her musical career: “I was teaching in a secondary school in Hackney and doing gigs in the evenings. It became difficult leaving school in the evening to get to a gig. It just was not possible and I had to make a decision.”

Louise currently lives in Fordingbridge with her husband, but was brought up in Salisbury and went to Godolphin School in the city where she was a music scholar. She also attended Stage ’65, the Playhouse youth theatre. Music has always been a huge part of her life: “I have been singing and playing different instruments from a young age, from primary school.

“But it is new to me as a career. Since I have made the decision and moving home, suddenly all this creativity came out of me and it has been cathartic. All the things I have done in the last six years, education projects and teaching requiring a lot of communication skills have given me life experience and I hope that these come across in performance as much as the music.”

Louise released her debut album TEMPVS in October, working hard to promote the music at folk clubs and arts centres across the UK. She plays piano, guitar and cello and writes her own songs. She is reluctant to be labelled and likes to be known as an acoustic performer: “I have taken a lot of my music from folk but then I take a lot from my classical background too.”

Not content with promoting her own career, she also wants to promote other rising young talent close to her home and has come up with the idea to launch a Forest Live series of concerts from September.

“I want to support local talent and the first two concerts will be in Fordingbridge town hall.”

Louise has booked Martin Carthy, one of Britain’s most respected folk musicians, to headline Forest Live in October and has other big names in mind for the monthly concerts.

“Martin Carthy likes being involved with an informal folk scene that is multi-generational. He has been very supportive,”

says Louise.

* Louise is launching her spring tour with a concert at the Parish Rooms, St Osmund’s Church, Exeter Street, Salisbury next Saturday, March 3. The concert will start at 8pm and doors will open at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from Regent Clothing, 73 New Street, Salisbury or by calling 07980 374971.

* Details of Forest Live are available at forestlive.co.uk.