Awakens My Mind, and Soothes My Soul

My very first band was at the age of 13, when my best friends and I played “air instruments” to “The Yes Album” and jammed the night away. 

It was eight years later at 21, I joined my first real band as a front singer. As a child, I had learned piano from my grandmom and sang in some dance recitals and at church. All of my bands were Rock & Roll; my favorites, progressive bands like Yes, Kansas, Styx, Boston and Rush. Over my lifetime I played out in 8 different bands, the last two picking up guitar, keys and percussion. I also enjoyed writing songs that reflected my life experiences. heathersholistic@gmail.com There is not a lot of glamour being in a band. It is hard work, lots of practicing, some fighting over songs and their arrangement, frustrations over a bad sound tech, carrying in heavy equipment and then spending hours setting it up. You can’t be in it for the money as we usually made $50 a night for ten hours of work, less than minimum wage. 

But when the lights came on, I would light up inside. I enjoyed how each song played out, blending together vocally and instrumentally. I had a blast, gave it my all, loved it when I had a good night and my friends came out to see me. There is nothing better than getting lost in the music, closing my eyes and enjoying every note. Music was a magical part of my healing journey. It gave me an escape from my stressful life, a sense of accomplishment, and was a huge self-esteem builder. I am not currently in a band, but I will look forward to my future music endeavors.