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I
am a writer/singer/musician living in Seattle, WA. Influenced
by everything, I have a great love for the mystery of
self-expression.
I
enjoy answering the question, "What
if?" whenever possible.
I
was born in Iowa and grew up in Southern California.
My dad chaired the English Department at University
of Southern California at Long Beach so our home was
always full of books and interesting people. As
a child I met Aldous Huxley, Groucho Marx, Colin Wilson,
and Joseph Campbell, among others. I developed
a deep appreciation for the power of words, especially
poetry. My favorite poet was Edgar Allen Poe and my
favorite poem ever is "To"
by Poe:
I heed not that my earthly lot
Has little of earth in it
That years of love have been forgot
In the hatred of a minute
I mourn not that the desolate
Are happier, sweet, than I
But that you sorrow for my fate
Who am a passer by.
In my formative years popular music transitioned from
beat to soul to surf to the British Invasion to psychedelic
to folk and back again.I tend toward music that is dark,
moody, visceral. I was especially fond of the
Byrds and had a major crush on Gene Clark. David
Baerwald, Larry Hosford, Ralph McTell, Bruce Cockburn,
Townes Van Zandt, Mickey Newbury, Vic Chesnutt, Loudon
Waiinwright III, Rickie Lee Jones, Jules Shear, Shawn
Colvin, Joni Mitchell, all have been sources of inspiration
to me.
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On
the local scene I like Michael
Guthrie, Eva
Tree, Sky
Dahl, Eric
"Two Scoops" Moore, Kathryn
Mostow, Val d’Alesio, Harry Pierce, Rachel
Harrington, PK
Dwyer, Lisa
Marshall and Rebekah Coltman, Daddy
Treetops, Tim
Bertsch, Nick
Vroman, Earl Brooks, Steven
J. Bernstein. Not so local, Daniel
Parker.
My
first instrument was piano, then flute. I finally
settled on guitar when I was 17; a gift from my uncle
Ray. I began making up songs at 15. Most mornings
I wake up with one playing in my head. I've had very
little formal training. I worked in the campus
radio station in college. I studied guitar with
Joel Foy and occasionally receive counsel (musical &
otherwise) from Tim Bertsch.
I'm the sort of person who makes people listen
to songs over and over. It drives my friends nuts.
I enjoy promoting other musicians and have done music
management, most notably punk poet Steven
J.(Jesse) Bernstein.
In
February, 2004 I was included in a documentary on Jesse
being filmed by award-winning documentarist, Peter
Sillen (Benjamin Smoke, Speed Racer: Welcome
to the World of Vic Chesnutt). I
spent a day with Pete wandering the streets and alleys
(just don't spend the time in them that I should!) of
Seattle, reading Jesse's poems, caught in the lens of
a documentarists's camera. Very humbling experience.
I am also a nurse with a strong interest in hospice
work.
I
have tried many times to give music up, but it won't
let me go.
So
now is the time. . . |
