Music has the power to touch a million souls - an evening with Nile Rodgers - LIFI 2024 

“You know what…” my new friend seated next to me during the event said as we picked up our coats and funnelled to the exit, “Having been in the music industry for as long as I have, it’s easy to become cynical but after that, I feel inspired again” 

It’s hard to disagree. Nile Rodgers held a large, diverse audience in the palm of his hand for two hours. Stories, life lessons, the childhood experiences that shaped one of the most successful careers in popular music history were shared with an intimacy and humbleness which couldn’t be met with anything but warmth and admiration. 

Humility and kindness

Rodgers describes himself as an unashamed hippie. Shaped by his beatnik upbringing, he delights in others and remains “incredibly curious” about other people and their life experiences. Questions from the audience often morph into thanks, for bringing music into the world that has shaped lives and careers, but also for quiet acts of kindness which had affected people in the audience in the most profound ways; one lady sharing how the invitation to meet Rodgers following her cancer diagnosis and the time he had spent with her had provided strength in her journey towards survival. 

Follow your path 

Other questions, asking the prolific hitmaker for advice on how to build a musical community in a city or how to progress a career in music, or to inspire others in education to do the same were met with polite rebuttal. Nile Rodgers has always followed his instincts and this means his path might not be right for others. Instead, Rodgers advised these questioners to find their own path and to follow it. These answers were peppered with a sense of fun and mischief which is also highly evident in the stories of how some of the biggest hits in the popular music canon came into being. 

Stories behind the hits 

“Freak out” was born after being refused entry to studio 54 in New York by a bouncer fond of profanity. The inspiration for “I’m coming out” came from visiting the bathroom in a disco club, surrounded by drag Diana Ross impersonators, and “Let’s dance” began with David Bowie playing an underwhelming riff on a guitar missing half of its strings. 

These stories bring joy to both the audience and Rodgers in equal measure. We’re left appreciating a life lived in a state of “flow”, where the everyday is something to treasure and something to be turned into culture with the potential to indeed touch a million souls. 

Chiming with our city 

It all seems to chime perfectly with the best of Leeds. Warm, friendly, keen to know and understand, to take the time to share a moment, and a laugh, with tenderness and mischief. The ovation given to our city’s guest this evening conveyed that Nile Rodgers, the embodiment of a life spent creatively is indeed very welcome in Leeds. 

Thank you to Nile Rodgers, to Bruntwood for the invite, and to LIFI24

Alex Wibrew is CEO of MusicTeachers.co.uk; the UK’s largest private music education platform, based in Platform, Leeds.