When I grow up

Why do I want to be a writer?   How does one really answer that question? I don’t think Michael Jordan ever asked, “why do I want to be a basketball player?” It was something he enjoyed and had fun doing. So I guess the real question isn’t why do I want to be a writer, but how am I going to become one?

Sure, I blog and write articles here and there, but I want a consistent outlet for my ramblings; a central theme on which to base my experiences, reactions and suggestions.

Music has been an integral part of my life since birth. I realize how lame that statement may sound but it’s true. You can name any song within the past twenty-seven years and I can recall the exact moment in my life when I heard that song.  Don’t believe me? “Passing Me By” by the Pharcyde opened up a whole new world of Hip Hop for me.  The year was 1994 and I was sitting in my usual spot on the living room floor, watching the opening scene to New York Undercover (one of the only “adult” shows my mom let me watch, only because it wasn’t too far off from my daily real world exposure), being seduced by the in-the-pocket rhyming and soulful horns. After that I consumed as much mid-90s Hip Hop as I could, learning how to sharpen words that would later become the lyrical swords I’d used to slay the bullies on the playground with.  The first time I heard the Supremes, was on a hot summer’s day licking ice cream cones at a picnic with my grandmother. I want to be the person that writes about life’s soundtrack, attaching it to memories or events that you carry with you throughout your lifetime. Sure there’s much more to writing about music than capturing the moment, it’s also about giving life into the artist, letting the “average Joe” into their world even if it is for only 500 words. It’s not necessarily about the notoriety, but more about being able to capture the moment and making you feel it.

I want to make people feel what I write, prompting them to turn the page in anticipation of what’s to come. Being able to tell a story is a critical part of the craft that I will continually build on as I get more proficient with my style and how I pitch, but I feel ready to take that shot and score big.