STORY IDEAS
LONDON IS CALLING
Here's my story of returning to academia after a 29 year hiatus for an unfinished degree.
The pandemic crippled my income and stifled my career, which was totally dependent on live music performances in public spaces. During that time, the world modified communications and moved to remote solutions, allowing face-to-face businesses and their employees to conduct day-to-day transactions by computer. In the advent of the pandemic, I realized that finishing college and attaining a degree was a great idea. I had no idea that a trip to London with the KSU MEBUS program would inspire me to write a song that's a love letter to London and a personal anecdote.
DUDE LOOKS LIKE A LADY
That one time I performed in drag.
Now, I…had the time of my life…and I owe it all to my agent...My booking agent had a peculiar request from a corporate client to have a performer play piano and sing songs while dressed as a drag queen. I knew many classic rockers had performed in drag: David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Ozzie Osborne, and gosh, even the Beatles! For a good cause and inflated rate, this guy put on a show!
MY FIRST LOVE
I remember the day clearly. I was a spry six-year-old standing outside a huge window of the local music store, caught in the mesmerizing gaze of a baby grand piano. My mother and father had both dabbled in piano growing up in the Philippines and I knew then that I wanted to make music and sing my heart out.
THAT TINGLING SENSATION aka WHAT I REMEBER BEING 12
The year was 1978 and disco music was still all the craze at skating rinks, discotheques, and house parties. Before karaoke, it wasn’t uncommon in my household to set the record player stacked with 45's of the latest disco and funk songs of the era. I recall dancing in the living room with my friends and getting that tingling sensation around girls.
LESS IS MORE
As a career music professional, I’ve played countless shows and garnered tons of advice from players and industry pros I’ve admired or had the pleasure of being around. Over time, I’ve felt a responsibility to pass some of that knowledge down to the next generation of players…stuff that isn’t necessarily found in textbooks or taught in academia. One of those valuable nuggets of wisdom pertains to playing music live - LESS IS MORE