A is for Angel Mine
Welcome to the full launch of my blog documenting my return to professional music after nearly 20 years.
We begin the launch by joining the A to Z Challenge. Welcome to the first entry of our A to Z April 2013 Blog Challenge. This is my first attempt at this growing, most-excellent, world-wide phenomenon! We will blog the alphabet every day except Sundays in April.
The cocoon is torn. I am out, and I am spreading my wings. I am beginning to fly, with the intent to soar.
My passion is playing music, writing songs, singing, creating original music that truly represents all that I am. In 1995, so many accumulated and untreated emotional and spiritual wounds caused me to withdraw from regular public music expression. I have played out on rare occasions since then, but so infrequently that I may as well have not played out at all. For so many years I would dabble, start and then stop from my frustrations, my pain, from my wounds, from the darkness that would feed on my depression and sorrow. All the while I wielded the power of This Living Mask to keep most of those in my world blissfully ignorant of my living hell.
One year ago, I made a decision to own my power, to transform my life. I had terrible food issues and had ballooned to an obscenely obese 340 pounds. From 2005 to 2008 I went through rigorous and hellish schooling to become a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, but did not live my own good health, my own balance of body, mind, and spirit. That has changed. Since April 2012, I have lost 101 pounds and am in much better health. After a terrible 15-foot fall in August 2011 when I snapped my wrist and required surgery to put the pieces back in place from a severe comminuted fracture (the distal head of my radius bone was snapped into multiple pieces). I did not know if I would ever play guitar again. I pushed my healing and for the past year have rehearsed as never before. I now have 22 new songs I have written or finished in the past year, along with a back catalog of 50 waiting for their turn–plus plans to revisit my band days 1990-95 and the 30 songs written then for compulsives.
A is for Angel Mine. I wrote the lyrics in 2001 for my Angel, my beloved wife Tonya. She has literally been a supportive angel doing everything she can to help me heal and break through my self-imposed cocoon to spread my wings and fly, perhaps to finally soar.
She was deeply moved by the lyrics, but I could never write music I was happy with for the sublime beauty and raw honesty of the lyrics. I could never match the lyrical power with worthy music. Until six months ago. I was noodling around in the key of B and strumming in ¾ time. I found a hauntingly beautiful song that perfectly matched the lyrics. Angel Mine will be recorded and released on my first album under the music project This Living Mask, which will be known as “Full On Fandango!”
Tonya framed the lyrics I gave her in 1991. I include a picture of the framed lyrics. Soon you will hear Angel Mine. Perhaps you will like it.
Bonus A: ARLEE BIRD. Thank you Arlee Bird for starting the A to Z Challenge. Your vision is now realized, as the founder, you must be proud!
The original lyrical gift of Angel Mine from 2001.