My Firsts

Since I'm starting at the beginning of my art experience, I figured i would share my first "wow" moments dealing with books and music. The first real-deal musical (other than Sesame Street) that I remember seeing was Sarafina. The story truly captivated me and actually brought about my first involvement of world matters/affairs. I couldn't have been older than 9 at the time and the musical was making its way through the States when Apartheid was a major issue in South Africa. This musical helped me to see how bad things were and helped me to understand them a little more than I did from simply watching the news or hearing my Pastor talk about it at church. To see at story unfold focused, not on adults who were suffering and hurting but children in Soweto who were struggling to grow and mature in a culture that through riots and random acts of hatred, was robbing some of them of their childhood and others of their lives was a true wake up moment for me.I got to see the musical courtesy of my Step-dad and mom. I remember walking into the Carpenter Center in Downtown Richmond and at 1st glance thinking the stage was pretty barren. But as the musical went on, the scarcity of an elaborate setting of props was forgotten. They were simple and well fitting so as not to take away from the story, the strength of the plot and the strength of the cast, who were mostly kids and had grown up in the Apartheid society of South Africa. I saw Sarafina about 20 years ago and I still remember it to this day as a musical that greatly impacted how I see the world and the issues of other countries. The first book that really drew me in was The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright. This was one of those books that I ended up reading long before I was supposed to, based on the reading guidelines for Elementary School at the time. I read it in 3rd grade. This was my first supernatural/haunting book and the onset of what has been called a very twisted reading life by some. I have a story about a 12 year old girl who finds a hidden dollhouse where the dolls move on their own & play out a murder that was a family mystery from 3 generations prior was more than any of my friends were reading at the time. But it was awesome for me. I read it in 2 days and thanks to that book, I came to Octavia Butler, Tananarive Due, Anne Rice and many others. I didn't see my 1st opera until I was in the 11Th grade. For someone who had been singing for almost as long as I could talk, I had never been opened up to the world of opera until it was almost time for me to graduate, thanks to my 11Th grade chorus teacher. The opera was Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti. All I remember thinking was that opera was GREAT for drama queens. The love triangle. The fights. The deaths. The suicide. Set to music...AWESOME!!

These were my first experiences that lead me to be the avid reader and lover of music that I am today. These helped me want to continue, want to see more, want to do more and want to be more. That's it for the past. Now, for now...