I'm Pretty Flawless Not To Mention...

Unbelievably Wicked.

Last month (August 2011) I began reading Pretty Little Liars written by Sara Shephard. I am not sure as to how I came about that book, rather the series, but I did and I am absolutely enjoying it. Pretty Little Liars (book 1) was one book I couldn't put down, next to Catcher In The Rye and The Help. I think I read that book in two weeks time. I am not saying that that book is a hard read. It's not by a long shot. But it is so well written that it transports the reader to the time and scene being written about.

Set in a rich area of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, it follows a group of girls that were best friends in seventh grade through high school at Rosewood Day (private school): Alison, Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily. After a tragic accident and then the disappearance of Alison (during seventh grade year), things change drastically for the remaining three girls. But not only does tragedy and the disappearance of Alison change them, time changes them. High school becomes a different environment with new people entering their lives and old one leaving. As together as people seem on the outside, their world is anything but perfect.

I never attended a private school or lived in a ritzy area growing but I can still relate to the characters in the book because, as humans, we all go through some crazy stuff in our adolescent and young adult years. This is what I enjoy about reading young adult books. Unless you skipped adolescent and young adult, anyone can relate to these books.

I have begun reading Flawless and as with Pretty Little Liars I can't put it down (thought at times I have to). I read it on my breaks and lunches at work and its the last thing I read before shutting off the light for sleep time. Unlike Pretty, Flawless is becoming a slow read because I am also reading other books to help me with blogging better as well trying to attend to my blogs (either writer or modifying them).

I know ABC Family made a TV show of the books and on Twitter there were people watching the show and posting at the same time. I had to turn Twitter off because they were spoiling it for me.

I am not sure if I will watch the TV show because it might ruin it for me as in the people weren't cast correctly or things were changed from the book - as is done with all TV series and movies. But curiosity always gets the best of me and once I am finished with the series, I will look at the TV show and give my take, as any good blogger should do.

Until next time:

"Two can only keep a secret if one of them is dead." Alison from Pretty Little Liars

Life After High School: Save the Music For the Pros

A question was posed in my high school page on Facebook (Vacaville High 1983) asking "did you become what you wanted to be in high school"? This question has been with me since reading it about a week or so ago and I was going to answer via the page itself but realized the answer would be longer than the page would probably would like.

I have to say that I didn't become exactly what I wanted which was a successful musician. I say not exactly because I accomplished part of the goal and that's recording two CDs, which is the first part to becoming successful for people to hear you you have to have something for them to listen to, right?

Why did I want to be a successful musician? Well it came after hearing Pink Floyd's The Wall. It was actually the song "Mother" that really turned me to wanting to writing music/lyrics. I just didn't know how to go about doing so because I didn't play an instrument at that time. I decided I would have to learn to play the guitar, although the drums was and always will be my instrument of choice.

In 1983 I learned to play the guitar and in the process tried my hand at songwriting, which came to me quite easy. I went a number of years seeking artist that would influence me either vocally or songwriting style. From Pink Floyd to Tears for Fears to The Judds and Reba McIntire. Although I grew listening to soul music and rhythm and blues it was not something I could not write so I left it those that could.

In 2001 I recorded my first CD (recorded in another's studio) tilted "Searching for the Garden of Eden" which was of folk/country genre because the area I was hoping to get into was country music and country music was very easy for me to write and sing. I had the CD put in a local store in Vacaville called Music for a Song (I'm not sure if it's still there for I do not live in the area anymore). I sold one copy and that was because a friend of mine went in and bought a copy to show support for me. The CD was on consignment (don't remember the length of time but it wasn't long that's for sure) and the consignment ended with only a single copy being sold. I realized that perhaps country isn't the road for me to take. But my dreams to make it in the music business was not shattered, only needing a revamp.

I spent the yeas between 2001 and 2007 trying to figure which road to take. Should I stick to country but market myself better or should I find another genre of music? I decided to ask people why they wouldn't buy my CD and they said the genre of music. OK. Now I knew I had to change gears. Along came my discovery of Enigma.

"Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi" by Enigma was the changing CD for me and I wanted to write that type of music so I began collecting their CDs and really listening to their music. I mean really listening to their music. After them came Air and Keiko Matsui among a number of other people.

In 2007 I recorded my second CD (in my own home studio) titled "4240 Hollis St" which was all music with influences of Pink Floyd and Enigma being heard and the CD sold many copies and got listeners on iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody and other online music stores. More songs from this CD have been purchased via iTunes than my first CD and because of this I knew this was the road for me to take. I knew I found my niche and all I had to do was get my second CD out there more (via Facebook and Twitter) and start work on my third CD at the same time. But as John Lennon said, "Life happens while you're making plans" and boy does it.

Between 2007 and now 2011 I switched jobs, lost a job, went to IT school and found a job (though not in the IT field which is OK). In the midst of everything I still had not lost my goal. But instead of wanting to make it big (Grammy big) I just wanted to get paid to compose and felt I was on the right track with my choice of music genre. I had every intentions to begin recording my third CD last year but had no umph. This year I finally got my home studio set up again (had to break it down in 2009 when I moved) and then I lost total interest in writing and recording. I don't know why. I just did. But being creative is something that's in me. I may go back to it but it won't be this year.

So, no I didn't achieve my goal (completely) after high school and the music may be on hold for right now, but my creative energy continues to flow and I'll tell where next time around.

Until next time:
"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world." Oscar Wilde

Year book picture, circa 1983