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OK - READ ON -
I was conceived sometime in the month of September in Missoula, Montana during a cross-country road trip. I would like to say that my parents carefully planned the event, had an attachment to Missoula, picked the music, created the mood, readied themselves to bring a new life into this world, but in reality, a condom broke.
Following a fairly unexceptional geeky art and music-filled, rejection-driven high school experience, I went off to the University of Michigan to study classical voice. Whereas high school was not what you might call a real social Mecca for me, I had been told that college would be different. It was true -- once there, I was finally able to find people with similar interests - namely loud music, drug use, and general self-destruction.
Needless to say, college was a blur, but I did learn one thing: I did not want to be a classical musician.
After graduation and a short period dedicated to getting to know my parents as the people they really are (read: moving home with Mom and Dad), I decided to go to New York City to explore the option of rock stardom. I picked up a guitar and wrote songs, played at clubs throughout the East Village, and subsequently pursued my other dream of becoming a waitress. The waitressing went well, with the exception of a few spills here and there and one unfortunate incident involving a plate of chicken curry and a designer handbag. After absorbing everything the service industry had to offer, I hit the road and booked a national tour. This resulted in high gas and mechanic bills and an offer to move out to Los Angeles to work with acclaimed producer Paul Fox. So here I am now, a successful screenwriter. (not really)
Here are some facts that seem to be included in most of the musician biographies I read:
Some musical influences: Joni Mitchell, Elliott Smith, Patty Griffin, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Radiohead, James Taylor, Aimee Mann, Carole King, Lucinda Williams, Elton John, Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, Nirvana.
Some achievements: Toured Europe as a choir soloist when I was 17, sang in the Aspen Music Festival when I was 20, they tell me I graduated with honors from U of M, played in the 2001 CMJ music festival, the 2002 Midwest Music Summit, and the 2002 Bumbershoot festival in Seattle (that was really cool), booked a 20+ date summer tour in 2002 including a performance at the Bluebird Café in Nashville, Independent Songwriter Webzine's March 2002 "Featured Artist," Performing Songwriter Magazine's "Top 12 DIY Releases" for December 2002, featured in Dirty Linen Magazine, Indie-music.com and Indiecrit.com. I also sang on Secret underarm deodorant commercials for cash.
I now live in Los Angeles where I write songs, practice guitar and piano, go to shows, and play in the sunshine. I look forward to my first boob job and the subtle yet lasting personality changes that occur as a result of living in such a vacuous city.
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