All About... Myself

Originally Posted at PsmythSongs.com November 26, 2009

I couldn’t decide what to write about today - too many Thanksgiving festivities leaving little time for the countless hours of research this blog requires.  So, after much internal debate (most of which took place between the kitchen and my office during my first caffeinated beverage of the day) I decided to write about myself.  Shameless, I know, but I guess that’s the first thing you should know about me.

I have been composing and playing music since I first failed to learn the violin in the second grade.  A bit later I began playing guitar and found that more suited to my skills and attention span.  I wowed my junior high student body with a rendition of “Stairway to Heaven” while in the eighth grade.  I left such an impression that at my last high school reunion, when introducing myself to one of my fellow alums, he said “Oh yeah, you’re that guy who played ‘Stairway to Heaven.’”  

I spent most of high school in my bedroom, practicing.  I wrote a lot of songs, mostly with my friend Geoff, all of which I have since forgotten.  After high school I gave up on my dreams of musical stardom and tried a lot of other things instead.  I worked some odd jobs - some that were really odd - returned to college to study architecture, left without completing my degree, worked in interior and lighting design, went back to school and finished my degree, stayed in school and got a master’s, and then realized I was over-educated and unemployable.  So I retreated into my burgeoning home music studio and picked up where I left off in my teens, writing and recording songs.  Some folks, including my former songwriting partner, have commented that my music reminds them of proto-alternative music from the early ‘80s.  God, I hope I’ve grown artistically since then... 

So now I spend most of my time (literally) in my home studio writing and recording new material.  And I live in utter and unqualified bliss.  Well, I suppose I would have to qualify that by saying that I would be even more blissful if I could build a nice, solid fan base.  And then maybe get them to send me cash for my endless, if blissful, toils.  This is where you come in.  

As I have found, most people visiting my website go right for the blog.  Which is great.  I love writing, and if that turned into a full-time gig, I’d be almost as blissful as I would if the music thing worked out.  But seriously, there is other content here... so please check out the rest of my site.  I have lots of material - about three CDs worth - and can post more songs if that will entice you.  

So here’s where the really shameless part comes in - OK, probably not as shameless as Jan and Dean singing “Buy, Buy, Buy Our Album” during their come-back a few years ago (am I the only one who saw that commercial? [and really, that was more pitiful than shameless]) - since I don’t yet have anything ready to sell, I only ask that you keep visiting my site, check routinely for updates, and tell your friends, family, coworkers, gym partners, the people at the dog park and anybody else you might know -  even if it’s just to say hello - to check out my site, as well.

OK, that’s all I got.  Oh, and check out Jen Gloeckner’s Myspace page.  Very haunting and beautiful music.  I believe she has a self-produced CD coming out in February.

Peace, Love and Turkey...

S.