BIOGRAPHY
Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
- Berthold Auerbach, Author
When I first happened upon these words of German author Berthold Auerbach a few years ago, their message deeply resonated within me. Then I thought upon the words of a close friend, George Logan, who said my music, no matter the genre or tempo, was soothing and uplifting. He shared this wth me over twenty-five years ago. His encouragement regarding my gift is one of the driving forces that inspires me to compose and record music from now until whenever....
It took my however, nearly 30 years to get to this point of releasing an album. I first began composing and recording in 1988, after buying a Roland midi keyboard, sound module, and sequencer I saw in a musical instrument store in Valley Hills Mall located in Hickory, NC. I was visiting George at the time. As I teetered back and forth about buying the equipment, I remember as if it were yesterday George's relaxed yet serious expression as he said to me: "Get out of the boat." He was referring to Jesus telling Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water. That story of course has many layers, but George's message to me could also be said this way: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
I was born in October of '63, and grew up listening to many different types of music. My mother was a piano teacher, a classically trained singer, and loved what is generally called 'classical' music. I used to always ask her to play Beethoven's 'Piano Sonata 8 (Pathetique) Movement Two.' It is from her that I learned not only about Beethoven, but Brahms, Mozart, and Bach as well. My father, on the other hand, loved country and western, soul music, and all things in between. From him, I listened to Loretta Lynn, Joan Baez, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. He had a nice collection of vinyl and 8-track albums, as well as 45's. My sister, Connie, loved funk. Her favorite groups were Parliament/Funkadelic, Bootsy's Rubber Band, and the Brothers Johsnon. But she, like me, appreciated all sorts of music due to us listening to the lengendary Shelby NC radio station, WOHS, which wasn't so genre specific in the 70's as stations are today. We heard everything from Earth Wind & Fire to the Eagles. From Nicolette Sheridan to Johnny 'Guitar' Watson. We were 'well-rounded!'
To be continued.....