Nicholas David: ‘I’m walking in my dreams right now’
February 06, 2013
It's been a wild ride for Nicholas David. In just six short months David—who we know locally as performer Nick "The Feelin" Mrozinski—has gone from holding down a regular Sunday-night gig at the Nomad Pub to becoming the underdog favorite on NBC's prime-time talent show The Voice, working with icons like Bill Withers and Smokey Robinson, and getting his coaching advice from Cee Lo Green.
Oh, and just this week he also welcomed his third child into the world. As Mrozinski remarked on Twitter, "Hey now and holy buckets!"
But does that experience do to a person, and how does one stay grounded amid all that orchestrated chaos? It's something I've been wondering about Mrozinski since his journey with The Voice began. Now that he's back in Minnesota, it seems the challenge for Mrozinski will be to balance the wealth of opportunities at his fingertips (he just returned from performing at one of the president's inaugural balls) with his desire to stay positive and centered.
"It’s truly a treat to come back home. It’s like trying to recharge the battery. But also I don’t forget where I come from, and I remember where I come from, and I remember all the hard work," he told David Campbell recently, when the two chatted backstage at the Current's birthday party.
"That experience being on The Voice opened so many doors, in so many ways," he said. "It was like the best music school ever, learning so much about all these levels and layers to this process—from seeing the producers to the executive producers to the PAs to the transportation to social media directors. It was like every facet was provided for and taught."
For Mrozinski, who is 31, the seemingly overnight success he's enjoyed on The Voice has actually been a long time coming. He's been performing as "The Feelin" for the past decade, has five studio albums to his name, and has toured the region for years, developing strong followings in nearby cities like Winona, Eau Claire, and Madison. Mrozinski says his success has changed his perception of what is possible for him in the future.
"People ask you when you’re self-employed, like I don’t know, being a musician, it’s like 'What are your goals? What are your goals?' Nobody ever asked me what I was going to do when I'm dreaming," he reflects. "All these things that are happening, it’s like I’m walking in my dreams right now, and it’s amazing. It’s this feeling that’s like a constant tickle. It’s like every day is Christmas morning, it’s unreal. I don’t know how else to describe how it feels. So where to go? It’s like, where not to go? Truly. It’s unreal."
For more excerpts and interviews from the Current's birthday party, tune into the Current tonight from 10 p.m.-12 a.m., when host David Campbell will take listeners on a guided tour of all the highlights from this year's events—including my personal favorite, the Kids performing "Hot Cheetos and Takis."
Related:
