Boogsey Music

I was raised with very strong parents.  My father was a successful entrepreneur and my mother was a schoolteacher who was dedicated to her students and to me and my brother and sister.  They always instilled in us to go for our dreams—the sky was the limit.   As a young child I couldn’t appreciate what they had accomplished in order to make me feel like I could conquer the world.  My father was raised in the  south, and even my mother came from a small town in  Louisiana.   Both had a passion for higher learning and believed that with an education, any barriers could be removed; in spite of the obvious barriers that still plague our society . . . race being one of them.   Being a woman of color, I often wondered if that was something that has held me up.  Now, understand, I’m not accusing anybody of racism.  Although I have experienced what could be perceived as subtle ignorance—some might call it modern bigotry.   But these incidents are so few and far between, that it seems futile to even mention them.

Were my parents right to preach, “The sky’s the limit?”  Have you ever had a yearning for something so strong, that nothing could quench it?  Have you ever wanted something so bad, that you’d do almost anything to get it?  If you’re an artist, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about.  I am a musician.  But wait.  It doesn’t stop there.  I’m a creator of music, film, and the written word.  Although I have held traditional jobs (receptionist, executive assistant, accountant, paralegal, etc…) I was never fulfilled doing any of those jobs.  I guess you could argue that most employees are not satisfied in their jobs and that should shut me up immediately.  But just for the purposes of this article, please let me finish my point.

Having gone to college to learn my craft, upon graduation I quickly learned that my music degree(s) were only going to take me so far.  Sure I could compose a symphony, conduct an orchestra, write a film score, sing 5 octaves, write a catchy song, but so could a whole lotta people I discovered.  What I really discovered was there are a lot of talented people out there and I wasn’t going to reach my goals on just my talent alone.  Because you know what?  Just as there will always be somebody richer, thinner, prettier, and smarter, there is somebody out there who can sing, compose, conduct, orchestrate, and scorewrite circles around me.   I have a strong confidence in my musical talent and acquired, related skills, but those things are just not enough.  And besides . . . the competition is fierce!

In a town where entertainment supposedly thrives, why is it so hard to forge a path or even follow one that’s been mapped out already?  After conversing with my peers, it seems nobody really knows how to make a career out their creative aspirations.  Unless I decide to teach, I have a better chance of getting struck by lightening twice in the same place or winning the lottery.  So how then did those musical stars make it back in the “olden” days?  They were the exception not the rule.  I tip my hat off to the Hornes, Holidays, Fitzgeralds, Bakers, and Dandridges for overcoming hurdles and achieving a level of success that bloggers like me can actually reference (Thank you Wikipedia!) which leads me back to the beginning of this article.

My parents’ philosophy was that a good education helps you achieve your dreams.  I do believe that.  But only if approached from a different angle.   You see you have to have the intelligence to know that you do have true talent.  You have to use that part of your brain that thinks outside of the box—the days of following “tradition” are long gone.  Forging a way with the latest tools is by far the smartest thing you can do.   You have to be a foreman on the project of “You!”   It’s either back to the drawing board . . . or UNDER CONSTRUCTION.  It’s 2010 going on 2011.  In order to make it, I’m not afraid to reinvent myself.  Are you?