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One of the 50 CultureMakers of Seattle as listed in City Arts Magazine and founder of The Round, Nathan has been leading Abbey Arts programs since its start in 2005. Like many of the staff at the Abbey, he began as a volunteer who wanted to help create more beautiful music & arts events.
Drawn to the vision of re-purposing an empty old building to a vibrant community space, he jumped right in and got to work fixing up the the Fremont Abbey (along with the support of COTA & many community volunteers). Nathan founded The Round, a monthly music & arts experience, and brought it to the Fremont Abbey for its 6th edition in late 2005. The Round has now been produced at events like Bumbershoot, Zootunes, and in at least 9 other cities around the United States.
Before arriving in Seattle, Nathan earned a degree in Business from Western Washington University while running a small landscaping company, booking various PNW bands, and producing indie concerts in unusual spaces around Bellingham, WA.
After volunteering in places like Haiti and Honduras, Nathan founded Bands Without Borders which operated benefit concerts for various charities. The “Backpacks Not Buckets” campaign sent school backpacks to kids in Honduras via partner Water 1st.
Volunteer work: The Melodic Caring Project which live streams concerts to children’s hospitals (Advisory Board, 2012-14), BF Day Elementary playground/park (Design Committee, 2012-13), Fremont Chamber of Commerce (Board Member 2009-11), Bands Without Borders (Founder/Board Member, 2006-09), First Aid Arts (Advisory, 2010-14), Water 1st Intl, Clean Water for Haiti, and more.
Enjoys: Paddleboarding, beach volleyball, design magazines, and backpacking around the NW (check out Toleak Pt for a true stunner).
Music that helps my mood: Soley, Agnes Obel, Perfume Genius, Patrick Watson, Neko Case, Dustin O’Halloran, Sigur Ros, The Album Leaf, Balmorhea, Aurora, The Japanese House, so many more.
Other: Loves helping other nonprofits and community groups to revive “Lonely Buildings“.
Favorite website: Colossal / Fav Podcasts: Hidden Brain, TEDtalks, Radiolab, Out of the Comfort Zone, more
Why I work at Abbey Arts: I know how valuable support is to an emerging artist and am inspired by the opportunities new musicians, visual artists, dancers & nonprofits are given at Abbey Arts. I am so excited to be able to give back and support a vibrant arts community.
Music everyone should know about: Over the Rhine, Jamestown Revival, The Banner Days, Joseph, The Lumineers, Naomi Wachira, Noah Gundersen, Tyler Edwards, Glass Animals, Seafret, yesicant, Drew Martin
More about me: After graduating from Western Washington, I moved to SW China for nine years and spent much of that time providing graphic design & photography services for amazing nonprofits overseas. I loved wandering around new cities with a camera, getting to know strangers along the way, and cooking up random adventures. I moved back to the US in 2013 and have been adventuring at the Abbey (and beyond) since.
Ask Me About: How to work your camera, where the best hot pot is, how to travel without loosing your sanity, how much coffee is too much, how to be the good cop, cool Chinese idioms, how many miles are on my old silver Volvo.
Why I work at Abbey Arts: I started interning at the Abbey my junior year of college, but the tight-knit community of staff, volunteers, artists, sponsors, and concert-goers has kept me around.
Music everyone should know about: Dermont Kennedy, Matt Maeson, Bishop Briggs, Lewis Capaldi, Parker Millsap, Garth Brooks, Bleachers, Go Radio, Luke Combs, Sugarland, Jesse & Joy, Dirks Bentley
More about me: I grew up in a tiny farm town (think population 200) and moved to Seattle right after high school. I studied Business and Economics at SPU. I get ridiculed for not liking coffee or hiking.
Ask Me About: What to do if you ever find yourself being chased by a bull or bear, travel stories, spreadsheet hacks, mood rings, opportunity costs, and what song(s) I’ve been blasting in my car.
Why I work at Abbey Arts: I want to be a part of events where people leave with something they didn’t have when they arrived. More love, empathy, truth, happiness, or connection. I believe there’s a connection people need between live music and the individual soul. I’ve always had a need for that connection and in our day and age, that connection is harder and harder to find. I truly believe that we put on events on where this happens and I hope most people leave our venue for the better.
Music everyone should know about: Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s, The Cinematics, Hey Marseilles, Kylan Johnson, Rocky Votolato, Shakey Graves, Violent Soho, The Wild Reeds, Milk Carton Kids, Ours, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Reverend John DeLore, Lemolo, Silverchair, Maltby, Tispur, LP, John Van Deusen, Arthur James, Gabriel Wolfchild, Cold War Kids, Mason Jennings, Grizzly Bear, Chad VanGaalen, Among Authors, Tobias TheOwl, Cataldo, Crash Kings, Asterhouse, Atlas Genius, Beirut, Brand New, Elliott Smith.
More about me: I’m from Eastern Oregon but I have lived in Bend, Eugene and Portland and usually claim one of these three when asked where I’m from. I went to art school and ended up an audio engineer. I do audio, video, and photo as my “many hats” professions. Master of none.
I always have a travel tea mug in my hands with black jasmine tea in it. In one years time, I quit drinking, smoking, biting my nails, meat and watching TV everyday. My girlfriend is a professional dancer and I am absolutely not. I have a beautiful dachshund named Cobbles, who is my pride and joy. I live with my two very best friends and it’s just as adorable as it sounds.
Ask Me About: Professional recording studios vs. home recordings. Ace Ventura quotes. Why Apple is truly better than Microsoft for creative uses. The best non-alcoholic drinks to get at bars. How to see your favorite bands for free. Film photography and the lost art that it is.
Sara Nishikawa: Music I Love – Miles Davis, Apollo Bebop, Hiatus Kaiyote, Anderson Paak, Soular System, Chopin, St. Vincent, Feist, Billie Holiday, Elliott Smith, Patrick Watson, Led Zeppelin, Lianne La Havas, Studio Ghibli/Joe Hisaishi soundtrack and oh so much more.
Why I work for Abbey Arts – I believe that art can change the world, and I also believe in the power of community to affect change. Especially during these turbulent times, I think it’s easy to get overwhelmed by forces that are out of our control—but when we invest in our local community, we are making positive change. And when art is involved, we are further able to create beauty out of the chaos and find goodness and hope.
Why I Book Shows – I love booking because shows are opportunities to build community and connection, which are so important in our fast-paced and sometimes lonely world. I also strive to celebrate diversity and inclusion of artists of all backgrounds in all of my lineups because giving platform to a wider range of voices helps build community, connection, empathy, and awareness.
Why I work at Abbey Arts:
Music everyone should know about: Big Thief, John Craigie, Henry Jamison, Among Authors, Anderson .Paak, Pete Seeger
More about me:
Ask Me About: The best way to cook broccoli, why I like lowbrow coffee better than the fancy stuff, whether we have free will, what my favorite joke is this week.
Why I work at Abbey Arts: I have always believed that music and the arts have a way of bringing people together and I wanted to emerge myself in an environment that show cases that sense of community.
Music everyone should know about: Prince, Omar Apollo, Bon iver, The Rolling Stones, Brockhampton, The Paper Kites, Penny and Sparrow, Dijon, Yuno, Sinatra, Current Joys, Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake, NKOTB, Steve Lacy, Miguel, Hippocampus, Smokey Robinson & the miracles, The 1975, The Beastie Boys, Sleeping at Last, RY X, James Vincent McMorrow, George Ogilvie, Harry Styles
More about me: I am currently studying communications and film at SPU so when I’m not rambling on about music I’m obsessing over a new movie I just watched. I have two cats that live at home in Oak Harbor so miss them dearly everyday. Most of my closet is thrifted and I have yet to learn how to ride a bike.
Ask me about: Film recommendations, My cats, Thrifting tips, my record collection, Sloths, My go to karaoke songs, How to use Spotify premium for free
Nikhil Sarma:Why I work at Abbey Arts: I felt an immediate attraction to the building from the moment I stepped inside during a performance of The Round. I felt the juxtaposition between the expansive upstairs hall and the intimate downstairs gallery guaranteed a diversity of music, poetry and art all under the same roof. I began to volunteer as frequently as I could, the stars aligned and here I am.
Music everyone should know about: Project Pablo, Lnrdcroy, Mac DeMarco, Tres Leches, Howlin’ Wolf, Joao Gilberto
More about me: After graduating from the University of Washington, I completely turned my back on the field in which I majored and began to focus on expanding my knowledge of audio engineering. This slowly turned into an interest towards all things involved in producing a show including lighting and stage design. My primary obsession in life is the never-ending quest towards perfect fidelity.
Ask Me About: poutine, the best bus routes in Seattle in terms of efficiency and scenery, airline accidents, why the Beatles are underrated.
*Abbey Artists rehearse, teach, and create in the space and empower our programming in various ways.