Trying to squeeze 38 years of photos and audio into one 12-minute video is tough. Fortunately, there were big gaps in my amateur music career, otherwise the task would have been far more difficult. Still, a lot of material was left out of this video -- many good tunes.
This mini movie contains recordings of practice sessions and gigs -- my musical journey, sort of speak. The quality of the sound and images varies. Some of the songs were actually recorded on cassette tape. Remember that? To document this segment of my life, I felt it was important to include the clams as well as the gems, high- and low-production quality.
I have chosen to convert everything to black and white. It's an art thing -- a personal preference. Plus, it makes us all look more like bad asses instead of middle class geeks from the suburbs. There is no narration. In varying degrees, I perform on every song you hear. There are some images, like one of my father, that certainly turn back the hands of time.
This video serves as a personal reminder to me that music was an integral part of my life and hopefully can continue to be in the coming years, although that is getting tougher for various reasons. While I never seriously aspired to be a professional or had the talent to do anything more with music, we all have those "what if" moments in our lives when garage band morphs into rock stardom. Looking back, knowing what I know now, maybe it would have been wise to try to turn a passion into a career. The attempt, regardless of how unrealistic, is often more important than succeeding or failing. Of course, that would have meant taking music lessons, and for anyone who knows me, I am not a lessons guy when it comes to creative endeavors.
I am also reminded that I have had the good fortune of playing with many talented folks -- some very cool guys and gals. We all shared a common interest and made the most of it when we got together. Some of the musicians in this video were only passing ships, while others have become long-time friends. Maybe that's the best part of this musical journey -- the relationships.
It's not clear what is next for me, musically speaking. I am not sure when the last waltz will occur or when the music will die. Lots of classic rockers are, well, fading away or are transitioning to shuffleboard as a past-time. Others are busy with work and family, caring for elderly parents, or just lost the desire to make noise. The bad economy has apparently cut into the number of Baby Boomers looking to jam, too. Many are simply worried about surviving. I can relate. So, before too much more time passes, I am posting this video in order to boost my own spirits and to give anyone who might be interested a little view into what has been a fun hobby for a lot of years. With any luck, maybe I will "get in with the right sort of fellas" and fire up the Fender one more time. It has to be easier on the joints and the ego than playing softball.
