Pre-Teen Years: Tablature, Michelle Branch, and Rock Bands
The guitar I got at age six sat there for years. Tragic, I know. I could've been so much better by now! :-P But as a pre-teen I was into music that didn't involve much acoustic guitar. I'd like to say I was raised on all the cool kid music from back in the day like the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkle... but I was actually into the Backstreet Boys and other 90s pop music. So unfortunately there wasn't much of a draw for me to play my instrument. What can I say? Besides I'm sorry... and I've learned since then. hahaThen Michelle Branch happened. A current popular musician who was female and played guitar was all I needed to hear. I saw a friend from chorus and church playing guitar, so I asked what he'd recommend. He offered to teach me to read tablature. (Tablature is a simple way for guitarists to communicate music on paper... much easier to read than sheet music.) That opened up my world of music. I started learning some of my favorites. I also started writing some very elementary-sounding tunes about teenage struggles (ya know... being me, being liked, being good enough, etc.), just to let it out.
My sophomore year, I saw a rock band at a youth event, and I decided I wanted to do what they did. I told my Dad about it, and he talked with a local country star he knew (Josie Waverly). She told him to basically give me permission to just do it: to play, to write, to learn, and to find places I could perform. So that's what we did.
My Dad bought me an electric guitar and set me up with beginner electric lessons from his friend. I approached my friend who wrote poems, telling her I wanted to start a band. She agreed and bought a bass guitar. She didn't know how to play bass, but decided she could learn. We just needed a drummer. So we asked my sister if she'd learn. She was thrilled that her big sister finally wanted to play with her, so she agreed! My Dad got her a drum set and lessons. We set up in his basement and began our band adventure.