Why the focus on music?
By no means was I raised in a “musical” family. However, I learned early in life to enjoy and appreciate music. From the big band songs I heard on my grandparents’ old kitchen AM radio, to the 78 RPM 1950’s records my parents played on our giant console stereo, to the songs I learned in school and church. I loved it all. But nothing would have more of an influence on me than the rock ‘n’ roll songs I overheard while shadowing my two older sisters and their friends. Like so many other kids growing up in the 70’s, music – especially rock ‘n’ roll – had a profound impact on my life.
I think of buying my very first record at a neighborhood garage sale. I was 8 years old, and I proudly paid the tidy sum of a dime for a well used Led Zeppelin II album. I immediately went home to listen to my new purchase, over and over again, while playing with my Legos. A year later, at age 9, I would listen to Alice Cooper’s latest release, Welcome to my Nightmare, while playing with my Hot Wheels. You have to give my mom credit for not interfering with this early rock education, which could have been easily construed as my moral undoing.
It was no accident that when I met my soulmate, Michelle, she was equally into music. Although she grew up with a different family life than me, we still had nearly parallel experiences with music, including the young age when we attended our first concerts.
The amazing thing is that it wasn’t until my mid 40’s, as I started reflecting back, that I could see the obvious. Because a child safely assumes that everyone on the planet has the same life as their own, I didn’t realize how prominent of a role music had played in my life, compared to most others. Only in hindsight did I notice this constant thread that weaved its way throughout my childhood, teen years, early adulthood, and now, into my 40’s.
How the blog started
A few years ago, I began to put down some of my music experiences in writing. I wrote stories of buying my first record, of when I saw my first concert, my first slow dance, my favorite songs, etc. You get the idea. At some point, it dawned on me that these stories could become the blog I always wanted…but never started because I couldn’t decide on the right topic. Perfect!
So now I’m thrilled to have an outlet for my constant desire to write, and I now have the vehicle for tossing these stories out into the world. My hope is that you, as a reader, will somehow be touched with these simple life stories. Perhaps you’ll be affected by a story similar to your own, or, possibly something you read here will trigger your own special memory.
Another life-long passion of mine has been photography. I love how pictures, like music, so perfectly capture and convey the essence of life. I’ve always loved taking pictures and I’ve put together a pretty cool collection. Always looking for an opportunity to share my favorite pictures, I was thrilled when I stumbled upon a blog template that included a photo as a back splash. Perfect, once again!
If you haven’t yet figured it out, the name of my blog comes from the chorus of one of the most epic and classic (if not overplayed) rock songs – Stairway to Heaven. I’m a pretty big Zeppelin fan. I love how music has the power to take my mind and send it in a new and refreshingly different direction, far away from the business of daily life. What is it that makes music so magical? How does it have the power to completely transform our mood and take over our emotions? Why does it have such a remarkable universal appeal?
In short, it makes me wonder…
Who is Bill?
My official story would go something like this:
Born in 1966, little Billy and his two older sisters, Ann and Tracie, were raised by loving parents in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The exception was a two-year stint in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was an awesome experience for an adventurous five year old boy.
Billy was a good boy (for the most part), and a good student in school, despite being rather shy and socially awkward at times. He was a tall and skinny kid, who loved to play sports.
Aside from listening to records and the transistor radio in his bedroom while playing with toys, his formal introduction to music came when he joined the school orchestra, in the fourth grade. He played the viola for six years, loving not only the experience of performing beautiful music, but also the exposure to both classical music and music theory. The foundation was laid.
Somewhere along the line, Billy grew up and became Bill. He quit the orchestra and stopped playing sports in high school, primarily so he could get a paying job and buy more records and attend more of his favorite concerts.
Eventually Bill graduated from college (majoring in his favorite subject, math), got a job, moved away from home and started a life of his own.
Then…he met Michelle and began a whole new wonderful adventure in life.
Together, Bill and Michelle make music a huge part of their life. They’ve attended more than 200 concerts together, often times in the front row, and occasionally backstage.
Getting to know some of their favorite musicians greatly expanded their appreciation for music. Musicians are some of the greatest examples of what we can all be if we wholeheartedly follow our passion and stay true to our path. Artists, in any form, are incredibly inspiring.
Thanks for visiting my blog!
Please feel free to comment, share with others, or contact me if you have a cool music experience you’d like to share. I’d love to hear from you. After all, we’re all in this together.
Peace,
Bill