Today is March 3rd and it’s my Birthday! My life is changing so much, so being true to that I’m doing something different to celebrate.
I’ve always wanted to go to music school. It was a dream of mine. I auditioned for lots of them as a senior in high school, but life took me down a different road to get where I am now. I became an Occupational Therapist- guiding adults, children and even infants towards goals that seemed impossible for them. Teaching them to do their “jobs” (crawling, getting dressed, holding crayons, all sorts of things) despite physical problems, premature birth, illness, strokes, head injuries, etc.
Now I’m a full-time musician, which was my ultimate goal, and I’m trying to lead myself toward goals that sometimes feel too big to handle. It’s ironic that my training in O.T. is what is now helping me take myself to music school. That’s my gift to myself this year. Music School. Right here at home, at my little red desk with a 3-ring binder, metronome, ipod, some blank TAB and staff paper, pencils, and a big sheet of star stickers that my sister gave me.
I’m starting with a week of cover songs. I’m learning a song per day, arranging it for solo Dobro and voice, recording it, listening to it over and over and analyzing the structure, melody, guitar licks, rhymes… getting all of that in my bones. It’s only day two of this project and I’m learning way more than I ever thought I would. I started with one of my favorites, Bonnie Raitt’s version of “I Feel The Same.” I could spend a week analyzing just the guitar licks in this recording (and I might!). But today I’m moving on to Justin Townes Earle’s song “Momma’s Eyes.” A simple, beautiful song with no licks to speak of. I’ll focus on the melody, the rhyme, the simplicity.
Later this month, after I fill my ears and hands with all this great music, I’m planning to do a week-long project of writing a song per day. And, of course, I will earn shiny little star stickers for every little step I take.