Well, I suppose my musical story began when I was a wee toddler. They say I liked to hit things - pots and pans. I remember tying string to a couple of lids and hitting them with chop sticks...homemade drumset!
Apparently, my grandfather (who was an accordian player) almost forced my parents to get me a piano and sign me up for lessons. I came home from school one day in 3rd grade and there it was - my very own piano sitting in the living room. I liken my reaction to an explosion of overwhelming joy in my heart, coupled with the realization that somehow, this was the beginning of a very long journey - a journey of studentship, satisfaction, hardship and infinite learning.
About 3 years of piano lessons later, my teacher - Marta Horvath (sweet Hungarian woman) - asked me if I really wanted to continue. You're not practicing, do you really want to play?...my Mom took me into my bedroom for a moment of privacy so that I could give my answer without as much pressure. I stood there, tears strolling down my face, with the knowledge of my heart singing to me: you can't give up now, this is your Gift. Don't give up now.
I wrote songs...more like short instrumental compositions on the piano. I loved playing those, much more than I liked to practice music I had never heard. This tendency grew into a stubborn habit of utterly resisting the task of becoming a good sight-reader. Why? I did not feel any need to read music when writing my own pieces was far more gratifying and quite a bit easier. So, I struggled for years, always resisting the technical aspects of music that I did not immediately need for what I wanted to do. It was not simply a lack of discipline, but more a lack of interest.
At age 11, I decided the guitar held a promise that the piano did not - playing the songs I actually listened to: Nirvana, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Stone Temple Pilots! The 90's - what a great time for grunge music and Rock & Roll. If I played guitar I could produce these sounds on my own - what an idea!
My father conceded, on the condition that I kept taking piano lessons and found an affordable teacher. No problem. A few months later I was on my way to my first guitar lesson at our local music shop. THIS...this was the beginning of a paradigm shift for me. I played every day. I learned song after song. I got an electric guitar and tried to play like Jimi and Carlos. I joined a band...
Wait a minute. I joined a band, but an interesting side note is that I ended up trading places with our drummer, Noah. You see, Noah was an amazing guitar player and somehow, without any lessons, he thought I was a better drummer. So there I was - 13, playing drums for a high-school grunge band, We came in 5th place at the Battle of the Bands that year...that's last place :)
Fast forward to being 17. Time to figure out what to do with the next 4 years of my young life. I really wanted to go to New Zealand and be an organic farmer, you know, a WOOFER. The other option was music school. I decided on the latter, and well, they let me in. So off I went to the Berklee College of Music.
Now, unlike most of my fellow classmates, I was not a musical virtuoso. However, that did not deter me from giving my best in all my classes. in fact, I seemed to be invincible that first year of music school - not even noticing the huge gaps in skill and experience between myself and the people I gravitated toward. Somehow, in my head, we were equals, and the most important thing was the music. I guess it was this attitude that drew me toward people of like-mindedness, regardless of skill level. I am so grateful, for these are some of the people I hold nearest and dearest to my heart even now...
I graduated Magna Cum Laude three and a half years after starting music school. I was an RA in my building for 2 of those years, and among my proudest accomplishments is teaching a yoga class to people in the dorm. Did I need certification or any accreditation whatsoever? Absolutely not! I practiced Hatha Yoga every day, studied the postures from books, and well - I thought I knew enough. This was another place I made some dear friends...the quasi-spiritual gathering of music students in the dorm. This, I believe, is where I was most comfortable at Berklee.
Everyone always asked me if I was a Music Therapy major, or a Music Education major, and I always said: no. Contemporary Writing and Production. You see, in my mind that meant I got to learn better ways of writing and recording my own music. i didn't want to be a Songwriting major because I didn't want to sound like everybody else...the result? Well, I did learn a heck of a lot about writing in different styles and for different instruments. And, to be positive about it, I did implement a lot of what I learned in my future projects. All in all - it was a wonderful experience.
What would I do differently? Well, I'd implement more of the instrumental writing I learned and was passionate about. For some reason, I thought I needed to write songs - and they were a lot easier to perform in cafes...but the reality is that a lot of the music that comes to me has no lyric... I'll leave this thought simmering, and hopefully one day in the future update this, talking about the instrumental album I'm releasing :)...
This pretty much brings us up-to-date. After college I moved to Oakland, California. I lived in a spiritual dwelling for about 6 months, then integrated more into the Bay Area scene. I worked for numerous non-profits and a restaurant. I met Michael Franti and he invited me to play at his festival. I fell in love with Linda Tillery and eventually asked her if she'd mentor me. I vowed I'd play at La Peña Cultural center, and eventually brought my 5-piece band there. I opened for Brett Dennan at the Independent and played at numerous street fairs, cafes, clubs and odd venues. Yes. I was an independent musician doing my best in this music scene. Oh - not to mention the recordings...I put out another record and an ep, and had the enormous honor of playing with some of the best musicians I know.
Wait a minute.
Here... I have to talk about my dear friend. If you've made it this far, you must really be interested, so...the truth is I don't talk about this friendship much in public. But, it's had such a great impact on my musical and overall life, that it would somehow be like lying if I didn't mention Esperanza. We met at Berklee when she graciously agreed to play at my recital. That was the beginning of one froogly friendship, which keeps breaking the barriers of possibility in my mind - musically and beyond. I tell you - I am one blessed being.
I think it's time to wrap this up.
My musical journey continues. Life is complex, yet simple. I hope to have the great honor of creating more music in my life - and sharing it with you. Until then...
Theresa
San Francisco
February 4, 2011