Hedreich Nichols

Gölä

The third in the series Power in Our Heart went off without a hitch and the Choir even tried out some new choreography. It was groovy and touching all at once. This week it’s all about getting ready for next week in the studio. First coaching for Gölä’s new project, then his background vocals. After that Hedreich’s version of “Listen” goes to wax–or at least plastic. Stop back by soon to see how everything goes…

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Hochybrig Open Air

And speaking of Hochybrig, it was a real who’s who of the Swiss popular music scene. Sandee was there and Gölä as well. Even the rain couldn’t stop the party!! And since Hedreich did the vocal arrangements for Gölä’s new CD which debuted at number 1 on the Swiss charts, she sang along with his girls as well!!

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Studio time with Gölä

While putting a polish and shine on the Inspirational Singers CD, Hedreich got the call that the planned January Gölä studio session would be moved up to October. So while mixing one CD Hedreich found herself simultaneously working on music for the new project due out in Spring, once again doing vocal arrangements and singing as well. Word has it that it is still Rock and Roll and it is in English.

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Time to say goodbye

All good things must come to an end and so it is with the Gölä Rock and Roll tour. After one last concert in Lenzerheide, this year’s comeback excitement draws to a close. „It’s been alot of fun, especially on the bigger gigs and festivals where partners and kids all joined the fun. When it works well, a band really is like a big ol’ family,” says Hedreich. Her son Chris bears witness to this fact. The man fans know as Gölä he calls simply “Lenny’s dad”.

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On Tour with Gölä

Remember that old Superman adage “faster than a speeding bullet”? Well, that’s what life’s like for Hedreich these days. “Trying to organize life as a singer, teacher and mother is rough but it sure can be fun!”” says the singer of the recent breakneck speed of life.

The Gölä tour opened to a sold out Mühle Hunziken and has since wowed crowds everywhere they’ve played. Even the tour’s first Open Air-Loveride –a motorcycle event to aid people with muscular dystrophy–was a smashing success with highlights like Born to Be Wild and Sweet Home Alabama, done with Gotthard’s Steve Lee. Not only has the response to the the Swiss working class hero and his English repertoire been positive. The allstar band is racking up Kudos, not to mention the singers. Never one to hog the stage, Gölä has “his two swans” front and center rocking the house with a bombastic cover of Mother’s Finest’s Baby Love which according to the Bieler Press sends a flurry of excitement through the crowd. In Thurgau, Hedreich and Freda impressed the press so much that he wrote, “the two lead singers were playing the wrong position (backfield) most of the night!”
After all that partying on the stage, it was icing on the cake to meet up with her old student John Prakesh. The talented young singer she’s known since the 90’s is now all grown up and was rockin’ the Loveride house himself. “It’s always especially rewarding when you’ve seen someone in their ‘musical infancy’ getting out there and doing their thing in a big way”

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Gölä continued…

For those of you who are keeping up, you’re aware that Hedreich’s Swiss German repertoire is not just for the classroom anymore.

First the Hallenstadion live performance and then the Art on Ice TV broadcast. If you were witness to either, you got to hear Hedreich singing Gölä’s Swiss Rock Hymn „The Swan“ in her best (!) Bernese dialect. For those who love her and possibly even those who are just getting to know her, this was a pleasant surprise and sweet, in the way that foreigners are, when they do the unexpected. For the Rocker himself, maybe it was the fact that while playing that song he felt the love of the fans…or maybe it was that sweet but, ahh, Americanized version of the song that finally convinced him to do what even the Art on Ice moderator in a Swan Lake outfit failed to do—sing in “Bärndüütsch”.
Playing unplugged to a private audience near Bern, a Swiss German song about a blue collar man in a white collar world found its way onto the set list. This special “unplugged” performance featuring Walter Baumgartner on Harmonica and Hedreich on the duet „Easy Go“ set the perfect tone for the evening with “Büetzer” putting the icing on the cake.
Hedreich, who is usually featured on “Love Will Do” and “Have Mercy”, learned “Easy Go” especially for this performance and one three days later at the grand opening of Switzerland’s largest Do it Yourself store and mall in Lyssach. There, Switzerland’s own answer to Bruce Springsteen not only sang a fine short program ending in Büetzer. He even did an encore singing the beloved “Swan” as the musicians –real professionals who had never played the song in its entirety—called out the chords to one another! Hedreich was finally able to match her Bernese dialect to the original and it was a performance to be remembered!!

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Gölä and Art On Ice

Although making out anyone on stage is almost impossible in the cavernous Hallenstadion, the brilliance of Göläs backline sound pouring out over the speakers couldn’t be missed. After creating the vocals that give Gölä´s Rock and Roll a distinct touch of soul it was only natural that he asked her to bring the studio sound to life in his comeback performance at this year’s Art on Ice. Rock ‘n roll, soul, disco and enchantment on the ice made for some magical moments. “I’ve always loved ice skating and saw the Art on Ice show back when Vanessa Mae did the live music. Now to be a part of the team putting out the sound for top ice skaters like Stéphane Lambiel or Sinead and John, singing while watching the beauty and fire of the skaters, well it was an absolute pleasure” Of course grooving to childhood favourites and doing the finale with Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees was also a highlight.

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Art On Ice – Schwan – VIP After Party

And, finally after singing Schwan year after year in the classroom, singing it on stage in front of a sold out Hallenstadion was a little like being grafted into Swiss music history for this native Texan. “Even though Gölä is doing his English thing now, his music along with Polo’s and Plüsch´s were my introduction to Swiss pop music. Those songs will always hold a special place in my heart and have become a staple of my secondary school curriculum. And singing it with Lesley, who was on the original recording, was the best thing that ever happened to my Bärndüütsch!” quips Hedreich, who also sang it at the VIP After party in Swissôtel.

And speaking of the after party, word has it that Hedreich is also a fine drummer who can hold her own with some of the best musicians in the business. After singing a few soul standards with Gary Scott’s band, Hedreich rocked the house by turning jam session drummer and hitting with Alex Auer (Gitarrist von Xavier Naidoo), Nikolo Kotzev und Wayne Banks(Gibb’s rhythm section sans Drummer) for a few tunes. The groove was enough to lure ice skating favorite Stéfane Lambiel op to the mike to do a crowd pleasing rendition of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”. And to round it all out, before her 3 inch heels drilled a hole into the bass drum pedal, Hedreich even managed to sing out a few good lines of “We Are Family” while playing. The crowd sang along and a good time was had by all.

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Coming up…

And what’s on next? Music, music and more music—the paper kind. Except for appearing with Gölä in a quartet formation at the end of the month in Bern, Hedreich will finally have time to start moving the mountain of paperwork on her desk. In addition to the usual number crunching that goes along with this time of year, Hedreich will be meeting some deadlines and putting a backlog of arrangements down on paper. Need school choir, band, Gospel or Pop arrangements?
Send Hedreich a mail, perhaps she’s got just what you need.

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Gölä and Art On Ice

And as soon she yodels her last yodel in Sound of Music’s “Lonely Goatherd” she heads straight to rehearsal with the all new Gölä band. That’s right folks; Hedreich’s going serious Rock ‘n Roll!! The beloved “Bärner” kicks off his return to stage on the 1st of February where Hedreich and other top musicians will be helping him to do his thing in front of huge Hallenstadion and Patinoire de Malley audiences at Art on Ice. Hedreich will be bringing to life the background arrangements she created on the CD due out this month. And she’s looking forward to see if Gölä can remember all the stuff they worked on in their vocal tutoring session. “Gölä was one of the quickest studies I’ve ever had”, muses Hedreich. “I wish every student could grasp and implement vocal concepts as quick as he can!” Check out some more studio pics here >>

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