All compositions were based on New Zealand life and experience in the landscape. To Triumph, Birth Of A Fantail, Captured, It’s Nice To Be Home evolved out of Wellington, New Zealand largely inspired by visits to the rugged coastline of Makara Beach, the beautiful bush setting of the Blackbridge Road rehearsal room of the Hulamen, and chilling out at ‘142’.

Inside, Blue 4 Henk, 10 A.M. and Sense Of Duty along with the epic “From The Boatshed”, evolved in Nelson, New Zealand during 1983 – 84, while studying music, art and ceramics.

The seeds of my interest in original music compositions were developed during my period with the Hulamen where I co-wrote with fellow musician John McDougall and the band a celebrated body of original material that culminated in the popular, “Beer & Skittles” released 1982. I further developed this interest whilst living in Nelson where I produced and recorded a series of songs with Joi Rossoman a vocalist whom I met there.

The period in Nelson culminated in the EP, ‘inside’ for which I applied and was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II, Arts Council of New Zealand, New Recording Artist Grant for the full amount payable at the time. This was a proud moment for my parents and family.

I was honoured to have the drumming services of Ross Burge and the wonderful ecletic playing of Bob Mahoney on Double Bass. The session was straight up with no overdubs. Nigel Stone pulled the engineering together, and polished up the sound. The record was promoted under the EELMAN RECORDS banner and manufactured and distributed by Jayrem Records Ltd. It was nominated in 1986 for “Jazz Record of the Year” for ‘Inside’ - John Niland, New Zealand. It was another proud moment for the parents who had slogged to buy the piano and fund piano lessons in the early years. The record was played as background music in restaurants from Whangarei to Christchurch. The music reviews of the time were intrigued with the original art work of the cover and the music genre.

During my time in Nelson I took up Ceramics learning the art of throwing, handbuilding, and firing techniques from Christine Boswick. I worked in the coffee house, Chez Eelco expressing coffee and playing Happy Birthday requests when required. This interest in ceramics culminated in a Dip Arts (Ceramics) 1989 at the National Art School, Sydney. I was influenced into applying for the course and this began my relationship with art and music.

During the period of study at the NAS that in addition to completing a major series of art work ceramics for the Diploma, I also completed a major body of piano compositions. Based on the ‘stride’ piano style of luminaries such as the early Jazz pianists Errol Garner, Fats Waller and Jeff Stacey to name but a few whom I studied by listening to their recordings, these compositions were based on the inner city suburb of Sydney, Darlinghurst which has a colourful cultural and social history. It began an interest in the urban landscape one that would find it’s voice on the eve of September 11, 2001, with my fragmented collaged poster series, a discussion on social and cultural fragmentation.

I always really wanted to study art and music as a teenager at a professional level nurtured by my parents who bought the family piano and thrust me into theory and practical lessons at age 7, and who continued to support and take an interest over the years. My greatest critic and music mentor being my father Joe Niland. My mother Ruth Niland was responsible for pushing me into studying music. My early music teachers were the Brigidine nuns in Johnsonville from whom I learnt the piano and classical guitar. I achieved Honours Level Pianoforte and Theory working through the Trinity Music Grades in the early pre teenage years.

Early musical influences were the old gramophone recordings of Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Grace Kelly, Mahalia Jackson, watching the television musicals, songs round the piano with the grandmother. I recall now that it was the magic of watching and hearing my grandmother play that tweaked my interest. She used to remark to me as a youngster that the piano was a physical and intellectual challenge. My grandfather tutored me on electrical systems, perhaps that is where my right brain computer head started.

My first public Artwork was the cover of the Solo Piano Album in 1985, titled “INSIDE”. It featured a Collage work I developed from “cut ups” from a newspaper. Collage as an art practice runs through my ouvre.

The album cover art work for ‘inside’ describes the music process as one of pure abstract forms, feelings and ideas; a game of chess represents theory and thinking process, the figure acknowledges the body. Focusing all these cognitive processes through the window of the soul, to the theatre of the mind, through the magnifying glass of the body physiology, to the tips of the fingers to the keyboard, ‘inside’ was about my thoughts and inner feelings.

“Largely, my mind was open to Art and Artists. Music and Musicians from an early age. I quickly grasped the concepts they were working with, their involvement in different philosophies, and politics.” It’s ironic when I think about it now that in time I would learn about the art and music practice of the Dadist Kurt Schwitters and his Merz Songs, the influential writing practice of the American Beat Generation writers William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, and Allan Ginsberg, their interest in the environment and the methods they used to create writings. All echo my earlier introduction to art and music through my earliest role model and mentor, Bill Hoffmeister.

Photography: Annelies van der Poel 2004

As a teenager I met my greatest influence, Bill Hoffmeister, a Wellington Pianist and Music Educator. I remember the first time I went to attend my first Bass lesson with Bill, whom my music peers told me was a way out dude. I was blown away by his strange oil paintings, the posters of Picasso and Miro paintings, ceramics, the small grand piano, the huge double bass that looked like it had literally jumped out of one of Bill’s paintings and the strange sounds of Blues and Jazz music he played me on record player.

Bill taught me how to write Bass Guitar lines, music theory, the Cycle of Fifths, the Colour Wheel, the basics of the Italian language, encouraged me to go to Italy, the art Picasso, Miro, Surrealism, the Italian Masters, oil painting. Inspired I decided to take concentrate on further piano lessons bedazzled by Bill’s style and charisma, his intellect, a gentle, humble genius. He alone is instrumental in guiding me into the world of the Musician and the Artist, for lighting a life long passion for the Art and Music.

Other influential early teachers were Wellington Pianist Legend Bob Barcham and Guitar Maestro Len Doran leading musicians and educators of their time who progressed my knowledge of Theory Of Music, Melody, Harmony, Voicing, Rhythm, Timing, Jazz Harmony and gave me the discipline to build these into creative skills. Other mentors fired my interest in Photography and trade art of Painting and Decorating.

Other teachers I sought lessons from have been the American Jazz Pianist Hal Galper, New Zealand Jazz Pianist Mike Nock, Australian Jazz Pianist Paul McNamara, where I extended my music knowledge into a broader world.

This broader world included moving on from the Diploma of Arts (Ceramics) 1989 to a UNSW B Des Hons 1994 – 1997 graduating in 1999. During this intense period of study I scaled down my music practice to writing compositions for Guitar & Vocals.

I graduated with a B Des (Hons) 1997 majoring in Graphics, focusing on a work based on the Beat Generation of the 50’s American writers, Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs. I had developed a keen interest in Linguistics, and began working in Television and Web Production. My other interests included Blowmoulding and Injection moulded plastics, Industrial Textile Manufacturing, Industrial Print and Recycling. Out of the period of study I developed my own design consultancy. The design training has allowed me to interweave my art practice into a digital world where I can write my own music soundtracks to multimedia projects, I can compose using digital technology. Recently I have been experimenting with video production, audio samples, my solo piano music and layering techniques, using collage techniques. Collage is a theme that runs through my ouvre.

“DISTILLATION” SEPTEMBER 12 2001
FOUND PRINT MATERIAL
COLLAGE 2001`

After the period of University study in 2000 influenced by my experience in Holland Street Art Movement, Wellington working with artist and musician, John McDougall and Brett McKenzie, I wrote a solo piano piece, titled “Holland Street”, which invoked a new directions, distilling concepts into my art and music practice.

Initially I returned to the Urban Landscape, the detritus of human life, product lifestyles, recycled waste which culminated in the group exhibition, “Distillation” in Melbourne 2001 in which I “cut up” everyday posters into a series of artwork on recycled cardboard. The concept was the visual sound of the everyday, represented in a different way, a way that provoked the mind to unravel the meaning of an artwork. The opening of the show on September 12th was overshadowed by the events of September 11, 2001 New York.

‘THE POINT, SATISFACTION’
FOUND PRINT MATERIAL
COLLAGE 2001

In 2002, I began photographing clouds in the Australian and New Zealand landscape drawn to their shape and form, rythmn and movement. This had it’s roots and was probably inspired by my interest in Chinese Art History which began with the ceramic art diploma in the late 80’s. I drew on the Chinese Ceramic History, the old style and modern Calligraphy, the musical sound of Mandarin, the Sung Dynasty poems, the mysticsm, which fired my interest in clouds, in the natural environment. It was the sun, the Australian Bush fires, the heat that inspired me to produce a series of pen and collage drawings, titled ‘Suns Series’ for a group show, , ‘Surf and Turf’. in December 2002, with Andrew Clouston and John McDougall.

A visit to Ngawhi and Cape Palliser January 2003, staying with friends and visiting the lighthouse at Cape Palliser, inspired and developed a new way of composition and reconnected me with the history of New Zealand. I took the experience to the piano, with only a few basic ideas, and like a Dadist poem, a Schwitters Merz Song, a spontaneous burst of experience and emotion, recorded at Marmalade, Studio 2, a new solo album, “Sketches On Clouds”. Unlike previous recordings to tape, the music was recorded digitally to CD.

ON THE ROAD TO NGAWHI
PENCIL ON PAPER 2004

Over time there have been graduation shows, group exhibitions and recently solo exhibitions, ‘LANDSCAPE’ 2004, ‘RECENT WORK’ 2005 AND ‘WEATHER FORECAST’ 2006. I like being online nowadays as an artist. I can use my digital skills to update my website www.nilandart.com and just play. I am working towards putting a multimedia project there soon, which will incorporate my music, drawing skills, video and digital photography interests along with other things I have learnt.

I find nowadays, having stopped educating myself and allowing the natural everyday forces to fire my imagination, I express different qualities of experience through the medium I focus on. Sometimes my body dictates wether I go to the piano or wether I draw. Sometimes it’s the opposite, it’s the mind. Both determine different body actions. For the music I do hard physical exercise as I find it so draining. The drawing requires a different mind, art theory and history; the music mind is constantly seeking out jazz theory books, the art mind is constantly learning about materials and processes. It is never ending, a stimulating pastime. People remark that my art has a musical quality.

“THE SEED DANCE “1991
GOUACHE ON PAPER

I remember my mentor Bill Hoffmeister once saying to me, “Learn how to amuse yourself and be happy”

Bill used to say to me that people would ask him what he did. He would say, ‘I play piano for a living’. “That’s what I do, I play piano then I work on my painting and drawing.”

I think that is what amused me about him, he had two things he undertook, like Tony Bennett. Bill he was radical for his time. He was a kind of a beat, a bohemian, an eloquent, smart, educated, snappy man into his music and art, and lived it.

‘Beryl was proud of her first attempt at a short skirt!’
Gouache on found pattern on canvas
LANDSCAPE 2005

My final lessons were at the beach house he owned in the beach suburb of Plimmerton, North of Wellington.

I was fortunate to have gifted and dedicated mentors at an early age who forged my mind and helped me to build basic skills that I would go on developing right through my lifetime. I believe it is important to learn new things constantly. That’s what I do to stay in the “creative zone” at all times.

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http://www.accesshollywood.com/news/ah1773.shtml

BENNETT: People have to stop worrying. It's not good for you. Stress is a killer. ... It was Duke Ellington who gave me the advice to do two things instead of one. I love to paint as much as I love to sing. ... It worked out to be such a blessing in my life because if I started getting burnt-out singing, instead of saying I got to take a vacation and get away from all this, I go to my painting and that's a big lift. And when I get burnt-out from painting, I go back to singing. So I stay in this creative zone at all times.

Tony Bennett Celebrates Turning 80 With New CD

NEW YORK (September 27, 2006)