MUSICAL CHAIRS: Nick Di Gregorio

BY GEORGIA MCDONALD

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This week, we sat down with local musician Nick Di Gregorio and talked about his musical journey, the Whitsundays’ music scene and his latest creative project he has been building in the local area.

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With a combination of live music, filming and the art of a good old chat, Nick created local podcast The Tiny Vinyl Sessions. Much like this column, Nick brings local musicians to the podcast seat and gives them a chance to share their passion, with each session featuring three live-recorded songs which are then professionally produced by Nick, as well as a chat about their story and all things music.  

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Nick wears plenty of hats behind the scenes, editing the videos and putting together the content for social media, as well as producing the tracks. Each episode takes him around 46 hours to complete.

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The podcast came from Nick’s personal experience in the local music scene, where he felt there was more room for original music and collaboration between musicians.  

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Whilst the project is based in the Whitsundays, Nick has plans to take it further, hoping to reach places such as Melbourne and Cairns.  

So, who is the musician behind the mic?

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Picking up a guitar at age 10, Nick quickly found himself drawn to the technical side of music. He describes himself as “a bit of a nerd”, starting out in classical guitar and jazz. Before his mother agreed to sign him up for lessons, she told him he had to work through a method book, so he did, teaching himself to read music.

At 15, Nick was accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne where he studied guitar and jazz, before heading over to Perth to study jazz performance at WAAPA.

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After his studies, Nick went overseas, working as a session guitarist on cruise ships. It was here, during a very fun and creative period of his life, that he decided it was time to learn a new skill - singing.  

“I’d always been meaning to sing, so I just started practising,” Nick said.

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Once he had completed a few contracts as a singer and built his confidence, he headed to London as a soloist and began performing full-time.  

Eventually, Nick found his way back to Australia. He was in the Whitsundays when COVID hit, and six years later, he is still here.  

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As restrictions began to ease and venues started opening back up, Nick began putting himself forward and building his position in the Whitsundays local music scene.

“I just said, ‘Can I come play?’” Nick said.

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Things grew quickly from there, with Nick becoming a resident musician on Hamilton Island, playing between five to ten gigs a week.

Nick says that one of the best parts of being a musician in the Whitsundays is the community that comes with it.

“It’s such a small community that you’re all connected,” Nick said.

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With a consistent and steady demand for live music across the region, Nick said that there is a real sense of support between the musicians, with everyone bringing their own style and approach to the gigs.  

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“I think everyone just has a unique way of approaching the same kind of gig, which is kind of what makes everyone different,” he said.

For Nick, the Tiny Vinyl sessions are another way of giving musicians a space to collaborate and showcase their uniqueness, while continuing to grow the Whitsunday music community that he has become such a large part of.

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Song Recommendation For The Week: Stick Around, Please – Nick Di Gregorio

Podcast Recommendation For The Week: The Tiny Vinyl Sessions – available on podcast platforms

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