Tempo & tresses
Salon owner and senior hairstylist by day, dynamic musician by night. North Canterbury’s Michele Webb balances being the lead vocalist of a pop-rock band with owning a top Rangiora hair salon.
How did you come to own a hair salon?
I’d been hairdressing for around 14 years, working full-time on the salon floor, training our apprentice after hours, and tutoring part-time at Christchurch Polytechnic when my boss of five years retired and asked if I’d like to buy the salon. I was both excited and nervous, but with a gentle nudge from my husband, I knew it was the right thing to do.
We had that salon for five years before eventually outgrowing it and moving into our current premises, which are twice the size. We’ve now been at Hi Gorgeous for 20 years, and there have been plenty of challenges, changes and successes along the way.
Where does music fit into that journey?
Music is a huge part of my life. I love that hairdressing is a career where music can be part of our everyday environment. It helps people relax, lifts the mood and makes the salon feel good. And, when necessary, a good beat can also be excellent motivation for a bit of ‘fast foiling’!
Outside the salon, music takes on a whole other life for me. I sing and play keyboards in a five-piece cover band called MockingBird, and there’s nothing better than seeing people singing and dancing along with us. We have another project called Boardgames for Blondes, where we write and record our own original songs. That has been a fantastic creative journey for us, both individually and as a band.
You play all the classics from the past 60 years. What are your favourite songs to play and why?
It depends on the situation and the crowd, but I’m a sucker for great harmony, so I naturally gravitate towards bands like the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, and a lot of that wonderful music from the ‘70s.
That said, I love performing some more current songs too. Artists like P!nk, The Weeknd and Miley Cyrus are great fun to play and bring a completely different energy to a set. It’s less about a particular era and more about whether a song has something that makes you want to sing, play, or get up and dance.
A creative at heart, what other passions do you pursue?
I’ve recently discovered the joy of upcycling furniture. Some pieces have found their way into the salon, replacing more modern retail units and seating in our waiting area. I’ve enjoyed knitting over winter, it’s a lovely way to slow down and rest an over-worked brain. That hobby has recently found its way into the salon too, through our support of Project Cover Up, where knitted strips are made into blankets and sent to Europe to help people in need through the bitterly cold winters. Our clients have embraced it; knitting a couple of rows while they’re waiting. It means they get to contribute to something meaningful.
I think creativity has always been part of who I am. Whether it’s hair, music, furniture, knitting, or anything else that grabs me, I seem to be happiest when I’m making something.
