Gian Slater is a prolific vocalist and composer with an approach that incorporates wordless singing and improvisation, songwriting; electronics and extended vocal techniques; new music and contemporary composition and collaborations with theatre and dance practitioners. She has released eight albums of her original music,and has featured on many projects and recordings for acclaimed Australian and American artists. Her vocal ensemble, Invenio Singers was founded in 2010 and features Australia’s best contemporary and improvising singers who are known for their singular aesthetic and performance approach.  They have self-produced seven of Slater’s large scale works, released two albums and have collaborated with many musicians and theatre makers. Gian lives in Melbourne with her partner, bassist Christopher Hale, and their two children aged four and eight.

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

Gian Slater: My Mum was the greatest example. She worked as a school music teacher while solo parenting 3 kids. She also took up weekend work as a tour guide and I would often trail along –  I loved watching her play another role other than my lovely Mum. My Dad also maintained a career in the music industry – I would often spend weekends going to his rehearsals, concerts and choir practices throughout my childhood (which I loved!!). These early experiences from both of my parents set me up to believe that parenting and pursuing your work or passion were connected and not mutually exclusive. Seeing their struggles and consistent hard work, along pursuing the dreams and joys in their lives – revealed their imperfections and aspirations as parents and adults, which was a wonderful gift to open when I became a parent. My Mum prioritised us always and abandoned the idea of being a “perfect” homemaker early on – she wanted to raise kids and work and be out in the world, she picked her battles with us throughout our childhood and didn’t try to micromanage our interests or our free time. She mothered with love, care, patience, support and also leaned on her own parents for support when she needed it. These lessons (and more) have been really influential in my own motherhood journey and have allowed me to accept my imperfection and appreciate the idea that balance is hard to achieve but it’s worth trying! 

My friend, colleague and mentor, Andrea Keller has also been incredibly inspirational to me. She has shared many pearls of wisdom about the juggle, but the most significant influence has been in watching her pave a consistently individual and disciplined pathway that incorporates her roles as mother, partner, musician, composer, teacher. This has inspired me to also find my own pathway and trust my own instincts of balance, allowing me to shift my priorities or question the demands of my various roles.

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)?

GS: I think I thought I would be more flexible and my kids more flexible and more things would be possible. When I moved from 1 child to 2, it became much harder for my partner and I to swap around or find care for both kids. Our second beautiful child has been less flexible and has needed me alot more than my first –  I have listened to that need and shifted my priorities. It’s hard to give new parents the advice that their experience is highly dependent on the needs of each child. It makes it incredibly hard to plan into the future and requires a very available and supportive partner and extended family. Touring is simply off the table for most mothers in Jazz because it is too expensive to travel with a child and support person and too hard to leave them for a stretch of time. Mothers will still (in 2024) take on the lion’s share of the housework, care, mental load – even with the most supportive partners.  I wish we had all been given more advice on how these roles creep up and prevent mothers from looking after themselves in important ways.

Your confidence as a mother and performer will fluctuate! Be kind to yourself! I have been pretty hard on myself in both of these roles and have been learning to give myself a break. I have found that my confidence on stage has diminished a lot particularly with the double whammy of pandemic lockdowns and little kids. I’m learning to be kinder to myself on and off stage – trying to correct my self-talk to match the compassionate voice I use with my students.

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

GS: – Set goals and make them happen bit by bit. Even when things feel impossible to achieve, it’s  important to acknowledge the dreams you have and consider what might be possible. I am thankful that prior to having kids, I had developed the ability to chip away – to do bits and pieces of practice, composing, organising efficiently and imperfectly. I have found this kind of work is no less satisfying. I often enjoy the switch from creative practice to laundry, from the sublime to the mundane. It is grounding and gives my brain more pause for ideas to develop.

– Be kind to yourself. Seriously. It’s a really hard juggle. Some days you’ll feel like Super Mum and other days you’ll be swamped and unable to see a way out. You won’t get to practise as much as you want or think you need. You might feel like you’re showing up to performances with nothing in the tank. No one knows what you’re managing at home and what it took for you to even get to the gig sometimes. However, your colleagues will almost always appreciate you and playing music with friends and for audiences will always be worth it!

– Improvise!! The beautiful thing about the mindset of an improviser is that you can work with what you have available to you. You can try not to fix your expectations too much. You can listen to and take in your environment. You can accept the reality of what is happening and try to bring something new into that space. Improvising is at the heart of successful parenting and the mind altering flux of parenting holds many lessons for music making.

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

GS: In the baby phases – I would always have a baby carrier/sling! The ergobaby 360 one was our favourite. When the 2 kids were little, we travelled with a pram and bought a skateboard that could attach to the back – this was really useful, especially when your older kid is too big for a pram but not old enough to walk for long stretches.

Bring the gear from home that you know will put your child at ease in unfamiliar environments. For us, the wraps and cuddly things were more important than the exact car seat, pram etc. If you are buying special things for travel ie. travel cot – make sure you practise with it ahead of time.

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

GS: Lots of snacks. Wipes.  Everywhere you go. All the time.
Finding food that your kids will eat can be tricky, so always having something you know your kids will eat with you is a good idea. Travelling also involves a lot of waiting, so snacks are a good distraction.

Once your kids are on the move, it’s good to plan out times to have a really good run around and play. We often stop at playgrounds en route or research playgrounds near our accommodation so we can head straight there.

Some kids will be okay being minded by new people in new places, but many won’t! It’s worth bringing someone along with you to bring the familiar to unfamiliar places and make it smoother for you!

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

GS: Sometimes I have felt surprised by my absolute NEED to sing freely, to express something, to write a song. Even in intense bursts of parenting, where the days are long, the chaos in the house is overwhelming, there is a long list of jobs waiting for me -I can still feel the urge and energy to make music. But of course! This is the way I process the world, my experiences and emotions! This is my release, my catharsis, my reflection and my perspective. I feel incredibly lucky to have this outlet and this place to ask questions. On the other hand, I have been surprised by my lack of interest in hustling for opportunities. I was never good at doing this prior to having kids but I’ve deliberately hit pause on that part of my career –  I understand that this is a wave in my life where I can’t do everything. This means I am performing a little less but interestingly,  I am more grateful for invitations to perform – I really appreciate when people think of me for a project of performance.

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.)?

GS: I have been more selective about what I’ll do. After many years of saying yes to everything, this was    really hard to shake and as above, I have felt thankful when people think of me. But –  while my kids have been little, my partner and I have both had to make those decisions. The same thing goes for additional and optional work – This wonderful series is a great example. I have wanted to be a part of it for a while and love reading these interviews but really struggle to find time for these kinds of things. As we speak, I’m writing while the kids are going crazy on the trampoline! This year, I”m setting new boundaries around my work commitments as both the kids will be in school and more things are becoming possible. 

(*) 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
The complete archive of Nicky Schrire’s Mothers in Jazz series