Passion Purpose and Joy

 

I remember the first time I felt it. I was 16 years old and as I got up on stage at the Troubadour Nightclub in Hollywood I thought I was going to pass out. My friend Melinda Moore, already a “seasoned” singer/songwriter (at 16 years old!) had asked me to sing with her at the Monday Open Mic Night at this famous club. Melinda sang a song and then invited me up on stage. I remember my knees trembling, my heart pounding, but when I looked out at the audience and some nice woman smiled at me and gave me a thumbs, up I was hooked. I felt the passion for doing music and being a performer and knew that my life was changing that very night.

 

A few months later I got up the nerve and was ready to try the talent night on my own. To get a slot on the show the rule was the manager would come out of the club at 4:00 pm – and whoever the first 3 people in line were, they got to open for the headliner that night. The competition was so stiff that if you really wanted to get on that night you had to get there early enough to make sure you were in the top 3. After a few tries of showing up too late and not making the cut, I needed a new strategy: I would get there in the morning and be first in line! And so I did – week after week, I would get there at 9:00 am and sit out on the street all day: reading books, writing songs, hanging out with the other musicians hoping for stardom in Hollywood. It was an endurance test to see who would drop out, who would last and who might move up in the cue if someone backed out. And every week I would get on, perform my two little teenage angst songs and be more inspired and dedicated to my purpose of learning how to be the best performer I could be.