MY STORY
It was 1973, I was 21, and we were headed out on the road with high hopes and a bagful of original songs... but this wasn't the beginning; this was just the first time we'd made any money playing music! I was lead guitarist, lead vocalist, leader, songwriter, and van driver... but I didn't choose the band's name, honest!
My epiphany happened when I was 13, and saw The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night"... six times! (It was a long epiphany). There were girls screaming, crying onscreen AND in the theatre as well; these guys were being chased all over the place by hordes of girls, playing music, and making bags of cash. My future flashed before my eyes! I was going to be John Lennon! (It took a while for it to occur to me that he already WAS John Lennon). Hmmmm.
From that point on, you couldn't pry the guitar out of my hands. My parents were not impressed that I was sleeping with a guitar, eating with a guitar, studying with a guitar; they offered to get me violin lessons. Now I ask you, what self-respecting girl is going to chase a guy with a violin? I did take two lessons, but the teacher, who was about 106 years old, kept spitting on me, so I quit.
I had to find better teachers. I studied with Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and George Harrison for a while (via vinyl, of course... anyone remember vinyl?) for 8 years, and jammed constantly with the characters above until we were ready to hit the road. That wasn't a very smart thing for an original band to do, but we didn't know that at the time... like we didn't know playing Frank Zappa and Ry Cooder back to back would be confusing to an audience. Snazzy Warts died of starvation after 18 months of a wild ride... it was cool.
Twelve or so odd (very odd) years later, I got the message; playing in bar bands doing covers wasn't going to get my songwriting noticed. It also wasn't a very good living, and it sure wasn't going to get me the home recording studio I wanted. Also, bands are hard to hold together... everybody has an opinion, and seems to think it's right. And they argue with you about their opinion; who needs that? I stopped banging my head against that particular wall, and went back to school.
I became a psychotherapist because being a graphic artist was too stressful; being a psychotherapist was even more stressful! It did make my lyrics better, though. I guess I learned one important thing in all that time; do what you love or do what you think you have to, and be careful what you ask for. So I got lost for a while, which gave me the opportunity to find myself recording and publishing my tunes online, and passing my life experience on by teaching.
This pic below is the cover of the last CD I released on MP3.com before they got eaten by corporate culture. Some of the music from "Naked!" you can still download following the links at the bottom of the page; most of what you'll find there is newer, though. I'm older. Still, I like the gesture in the pic; it WAS a supplication, but now seems more like playful acceptance. I like doing what I love!
|
