At age ten, after attending a music instruction assembly at school, I decided to become a musician. I was ready for lessons, practicing, and traveling to and from performances. This might have been possible had I understood the phrase “consider all your options before giving up.” But I was only ten and simply too young to handle this project by myself, so I put it aside.
Two years later while reading a magazine article about a reporter, I decided to go to college and major in journalism. It was a subject that had appealed to me, tagging along behind the music. I had fond memories of watching Walter Cronkite, feeling amused at the sound of MovieTone man’s voice, and listening to teletype machines on TV as they clattered away in the background during news broadcasts. I’d think, “I want to be a part of that.” After a lot of hard work in junior high, high school and college, I graduated from Franklin College of Indiana with a degree in journalism and Spanish.
I’m grateful to those who found me qualified to have the following jobs: office/production assistant, graphic designer, contributing writer, reporter, business editor, editorial assistant, and freelance writer. The cliche about journalists is that they have “ink in their blood” and that would be true. I enjoy being a part of putting ink on paper -- or words on a screen, as the business has been changing since the mid-1990s and is becoming more electronic and computerized.
I’m also grateful to the casting agents / associates / directors who hired me from mid-2001 to early 2003. Although I reluctantly moved to Los Angeles, that turned out to be the best ending to a long, complicated sob story that would probably put you to sleep faster than this little autobiography. Anyway ... I worked regularly and found background acting to be a surprisingly good fit.
Through the years of journalism and acting I’ve been involved with music on an “independent study” basis. I taught myself piano in high school, took a few guitar and violin lessons, took two music theory classes in college, and played my keyboard occasionally for many years. In 2009 I finally organized my practice time and set a few goals. News of my progress is on my music page at Music Blog.
Something I’m sharing for the first time in late 2010: I’ve volunteered for many years as a caregiver to individuals with disabilities, mental illnesses and substance abuse problems. I would like to encourage all caregivers to have balance in their lives, to know their limitations, and especially to take breaks as needed. You and your loved ones / friends / patients will benefit from your peace of mind, good health and renewed strength from those breaks.
