Sophomore contemporary music major Nordista Freeze has not been silent about his big plans for the spring semester.
Freeze, who has been making waves in Nashville’s up-and-coming music community, has been performing in various venues across Tennessee’s capital and touring across the country, bringing his music into the homes of friends he has made at Lipscomb.
His next performance is set for this Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Shamblin Theatre, as he opens for Christian artist Moriah Peters.
Mid-December, Freeze was asked to represent Lipscomb on tour with for King and Country, a band whose tour the university sponsored.
“What that meant for us was that they could send a representative,” Freeze said. “We could set up a booth with information about Lipscomb, specifically the College of Entertainment and the Arts. Right before intermission, I’d go up and say a minute about Lipscomb to the crowd.”
Freeze, a performer who was used to crowds, said he was still slightly intimidated by the large audiences.
“I was pretty nervous. I can get up and shake my hips, you know, I can get up and dance around and be myself. But when I knew that Lipscomb was putting in a lot of time and effort sending me to do this, it’s just hard to be genuine when you’re just promoting a school. No one knows who you are, they’re just like, ‘I’m here to see a show,’ and you’re like, ‘Hey guys, have you heard of Lipscomb?’”
Though Freeze spent most of his time on tour with the tech crew, he had an all-access pass. He got to know the Australian brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone who make up the band through spending all day at each venue.
“You wake up and go to the venue,” he said. “Breakfast is catered and you spend all day there. They also have so many organizations they’re working with. The concert’s three hours long and they take time to highlight human trafficking, the whole Priceless movement.
“That’s such a noble and beautiful thing.”
Peters is married to Joel Smallbone. When asked how he got the opportunity to open for Peters, Freeze said that her manager just texted him.
“They still haven’t heard my music,” Freeze said.
Freeze is familiar with performing in many local venues with a full band. His opening performance for Peters will be a 20-minute acoustic set.
“I’m used to rocking out, but I’m gonna do my best,” he said.
Freeze does have experience with smaller-scale performances, though. Over the summer, Freeze and a few close friends packed up his Toyota Corolla with their guitars and travelled across the country, performing at house concerts.
Most of the homeowners were found through Freeze’s Lipscomb connections.
“I’m used to meeting people, shaking their hands, hugging them, eating dinner with them,” he said. “To me, a big part of what I’m doing is fellowshipping with people and caring about them.”
Freeze plans to go on tour again this summer, but this time, it will be to promote his new album.
A lot of work on this album has come from Lipscomb’s Contemporary Music Program. Sophomore Ben Roberson, who recently put out his own EP, “SMPLY BNJMN,” will be engineering the album. Part of it will be recorded in Charlie Peacock’s studio, a renovated church in Bellevue. The rest will be recorded in Lipscomb’s own Contemporary Music House.
Freeze expressed gratitude to the program for introducing him to talented peers, resources and mentors.
“I’d been writing all these songs and I’m still finishing a couple,” he said. “There’s a message that has to come out.
“Honestly the contemporary music program has provided me with some good classes, but what’s more important than that is having mentors in my life like Charlie Peacock.”
The album is to be released in April following FREEZEFEST 3.
“I still don’t know where it’s going to be,” he said. “FREEZEFEST, the past few years, has been a house show festival but after the [Oakland fire], the fire marshal shut down several of the venues that my band, the community supported and loved to play at. That’s been really tough.
“It’s been really hard for the 18-up crowd because those kids who are getting into punk rock music, or whatever it is in high school, who want to go hear bands, can’t do it, and that sucks. These house shows have always been a good opportunity for them. I do understand. I respect [the codes]. I see that there’s an issue.”
Freeze hopes that by targeting this younger demographic, he can support young and great bands. He said that he hopes the festival will bring fans and bands together as well as the surrounding community.
“I have a FREEZEFEST application up on my website where bands can sign up,” he said. “I have 89 bands so far. That’s pretty exciting.”
Freeze is learning how to tell bands no for the first time. His process of vetting the bands includes looking for those who are fresh musicians and those who care about the community.
“I hope for our Greater Nashville community, more so Lipscomb, I think we are entering a revolution,” he said. “And we call it idealistic, but once we stop telling ourselves we can’t do things and actually do things and start praying, we can invite the Holy Spirit in on campus.
“I hope through my music, it refocuses me ‘cause it made me realize that the goals aren’t an unattainable number; it’s a place in your heart. And that place is already right now, and it can happen in a greater capacity. It’s in the people we encounter. It’s not just my story.”
Freeze’s opening performance for Moriah Peters will take place at 7:00 p.m. in Shamblin Theatre. Admission is $5, but free with a student ID.