Originally from London, England I started my working career as an assistant to jazz legends Ronnie Scott and Pete King (Ronnie Scotts Club) in the late 1970’s and Israeli poet laureate Nachum Heiman of Logorhythm Studios in Soho, London. I decided at an early age that, although I was an artist at heart, the career I wanted was to put music to film. Sight unseen, at 23 I left London and headed west to start a new life in the United States.
My journey began in the music publishing world for ATV Music (publishers of the Beatles, The Pretenders, Little Richard, Cliffie Stone), and then for managers Ned Shankman & Ron De Blasio (X, David Foster, Barry White) which opened the doors to work under the guiding hands of Budd Carr, a music supervisor. Working on over 30+ film projects, coordinating music scores and licensing songs, and producing soundtrack albums, I was fortunate to work on big productions, Academy award winning films and small independent projects, offering a wide scope of variety and experience.
Diversifying during this period, I also had the opportunity to work in art departments on feature films, commercials and music videos, as coordinator, set painter, prop builder , and PA, and built organizational skills that would become invaluable to my future work as a designer and business owner.
Finding a passion for the environment, and realizing a strong sense for the need to create more sustainable processes within the media industries, I launched my first design business manufacturing soft furnishings, focusing on eco-textiles and product development.
My first design company Earth Works was started in 1995 as a retail store and wholesale business, providing clients such as Ralph Lauren with handwoven hemp blankets from Nepal, or shawls made from “cruelty free silks” from Tibet and furnishing an upswing of boutique hotels nationwide with a vision of a sustainable future for eco-focused soft goods.
While at a trade show in Atlanta, I met my future business partners Robin & Jeff Janson of Urban Evolutions – a salvage and architectural elements company specializing in recycled furniture and accessories. We created the recycling company Vy&Elle – focusing on second generation products such as bags and accessories made from recycled vinyl billboards. The product reached over 2000 stores around the world, as well as offering companies the opportunity to up-cycle their waste into promotional or retail products (Coca Cola, Toyota, Sundance Film Festival, National Geographic, Austin City Limits) for special events and marketing opportunities. During this project we recycled over 800 tons of vinyl billboard into second generation products.
In 2009 I formed a company with long time friend and collaborator, musician/artist Howe Gelb, assisting his career, and his prolific musical projects and endeavors through creative management.
From this, the birth of my own consulting company came about – Nicola Freegard Studio was created to focus in assisting a variety of artists, creative companies and institutions through design, marketing strategies, event planning and producing, as well as offering fundraising & development services.
Today Nicola Freegard Studio offers a full range of services to create well orchestrated and streamlined events that deliver client’s goals, and produce national and local events that focus on professional development, entrepreneurial stewardship, historic conservation and strong community relations.
If you are interested in finding out more, please contact me at:
email: nicola@nicolafreegard.com
phone: 520 307 6983