Nat Bartsch is a twice ARIA-nominated Australian pianist and composer known for music that deftly walks across a spectrum from neoclassical to jazz, also dipping into the worlds of chamber music, children’s music and post-rock. She has released eight albums, toured domestically and internationally, and collaborated with many leading Australian artists including Luke Howard, Grigoryan Brothers, and Plexus Collective.

Nat has become most well known for her lullabies, which, during early motherhood, saw her translate her gentle aesthetic into music with purpose. Nat created a suite of pieces designed to soothe babies to sleep, but also be meaningfully enjoyable for adults. After interviewing music therapists, she composed a series of pieces incorporating as many of their recommended parameters as possible (tempos similar to a mother’s heartbeat, gentle sounds, simple melodies and harmonies, ostinatos and repetition). Each piece is named after her newborn son’s stage of development at the time. The resulting album, Forever, and No Time At All was released in 2018 on ABC Classic. It is played regularly by many families, but also by people from all walks of life, including women in labour, autistic people, and people experiencing mental illness and grief. Nat lives in Melbourne with her six year-old son.

London Jazz News: What is the best advice you received about balancing/juggling motherhood and career?

Nat Bartsch: I remember reading this amazing book called ‘Motherhood and Creativity’ by Rachel Power, where she interviewed many mid-career and established Australian artist/mothers across all disciplines: such as Claire Bowditch, Claudia Karvan, Del Kathryn Barton. It had a huge impact on my expectations when I became pregnant myself. I had always expected that becoming a mother meant pausing your career, but here was this book demonstrating an incredible array of inspiring artists who had managed the ‘juggle’ (and not only that, several artists entered their most successful career stage during this time). I remember this one quote in particular, I can’t remember which artist it was, who described the creative process as a mother as akin to creating “with a taxi out front with the meter running”. I knew that time was going to be precious and my creative process was going to change, but I felt reassured that it was at least possible to wear both hats, or maybe even have career growth.

I feel very lucky that this career growth also ended up happening to me, in fact the album I made in the first year of my son’s life, Forever, and No Time At All, has ended up being my most successful, and has led to living many career dreams ever since.

LJN: What information or advice do you wish you’d received but didn’t (and had to learn through trial and error or on the go)?

NB: I discovered that, counterintuitively, it is actually in that hazy, sleep deprived newborn phase that composing and practice is more possible (if you have one child). Yes, you’re exhausted, but you also (hopefully) have long stretches of time alone, while your baby has several naps in the day, and can lie on a mat or in a rocker next to you. It’s also a big, emotional time: there’s a wellspring of inspiration for creative expression.

I wrote my FANTAA album (lullabies for adults and children) in the first 6 months of my son’s life, and they are pieces responding to that experience. The shorter windows of time for composing led me to write from the heart and make quick decisions which I think benefited the music.

A few months further along, it all starts to shift: your kid has less naps, shorter naps, then no naps at all – and your time is much more precious. Your baby is also on the move!

LJN: Your top tip(s) for other mothers in jazz:

NB: Keep your creative expectations/aspirations simple: new motherhood is *probably* not the time to compose your first symphony. Work on music that is comfortably within your wheelhouse – you’ll be able to enjoy it and do it pretty well, despite the sleep deprivation and competing demands.

Double bills and co-produced projects are great, because there is a degree of flexibility about how you might participate. I did a double bill with a mum-pianist recently who was struggling with sleep deprivation. She was still able to do the gig, but I did a longer set and she played a shorter set, only the pieces she felt were comfortable to perform with only half a brain! Worst case scenario, if it was all a bit much, I would have played the whole show on my own.

Try and introduce the idea of a bottle to your baby early on – I did this with expressed breast milk, but of course formula might be another option. It meant there was one feed a day where I didn’t have to do it, and then when I went back to recording and gigs, my son was happy to be minded by others. (I heard various warnings about ‘nipple confusion’ but this was no issue and just felt like another way to make mothers anxious to be honest!)

LJN: Baby/child gear tips for travel/touring/gigging:

NB: Get a battery operated breast pump, so you’re able to take it anywhere! Don’t be afraid to ask for a quiet space for expressing or feeding. I see this as a similar request to asking for a quiet space as an autistic person. Both of these are human rights in the workplace.

LJN: Best general travel/gigging/tour-with-child advice:

NB: The idea of having your child on the road is a lovely aspiration (and sometimes the only option) but if you’re trying to operate as a bandleader, tour manager or solo artis, the cognitive bandwidth you need to parent, produce and perform is extraordinary. Touring with a nanny, additional parent or grandparent is the dream, but even if you have the capacity to do this, this doesn’t actually guarantee you enough quiet space or rest. You’ll likely still be sharing a hotel room with your kid/s after the show, being woken up at 6am, etc.

Sometimes I’ve felt it’s better to leave my kid at home with his dad or grandparents for a short period – it means you get the shows done well and you’re able to come home and be a present and dedicated parent, rather than a sleep-deprived mess!

LJN: What has surprised you about becoming a parent and remaining engaged with your professional activities and ambitions?

NB: I never expected that in the parenting phase, my career would grow (or even be sustained at all). I owe part of that to my lullaby album which integrated so well with my family life, but also the productivity and focus that came with having restricted time. I’ve actually achieved more creatively as a mum than before, and my mental health has been better.

I’ve also found I just, kind of, give less of a shit what people think?! I’ve found a bit more confidence to be a genre-bending artist, sitting on the edges of various music scenes. Something about motherhood really clarified for me what’s worth stressing about (and what’s not).

LJN: What boundaries have you set for yourself as a mother in jazz (could be related to travel/touring, riders, personal parameters, child care decisions, etc.)?

NB: I am much better at ‘clocking off’. My evenings and weekends are almost always family time. Even if I have a bulging inbox or looming shows or deadlines, I am much better at setting aside those ongoing demands and being in mum-mode. I think it might be frustrating sometimes for people who expect a quick reply, and sometimes I get overwhelmed (especially as a self managed artist). But it’s a more sustainable way to be an artist, and (hopefully) means I’m a great mum too.

(*) Mothers in Jazz was started by vocalist Nicky Schrire. The initiative aims to create an online resource for working jazz musicians with children, those contemplating parenthood, and jazz industry figures who work with and hire musicians who are parents. The insight of the musicians interviewed for this series provides valuable emotional, philosophical and logistical information and support that is easily accessible to all. “Mothers In Jazz” shines a light on the very specific role of being both a mother and a performing jazz musician.

LINKS: Artist website
Youtube Channel
The complete archive of Nicky Schrire’s Mothers in Jazz series