composer / guitarist / sequencer / songwriter / vocalist
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Greetings & hallucinations.The purpose of this page is for you, the visitor, to get to know something about me, one side of the triangle. To the lower left is a rambling essay about my creativity and some of its sources. Below is a list to fill space. We'll see what else shows up. |
Creativity DissertationIt is my belief that when we create, we are the closest humans can be to a god-like state. That's not meant to sound egotistical, though it does. It is merely an observation as to why I, and perhaps others, create. Think of it as a need to propagate...the creative projects are ... offspring. Children, if you will. And, at times, they rip and tear their way out. While other times they simply flow. Of course, I don't know of any creative person that hasn't experienced a block of some kind. A draught, so to speak. But you get through those times. One just needs to keep an open mind. MusicMusic has always been a part of my life...whether it was the hymns at church (my father was a minister) or the vinyl (33-1/3 & 45 RPM) records of my older siblings, I can't remember a time without music. One of my most prevalent early memories is my sister, Bobbi (now married to Scott), at the wheel of the blue Oldsmobile with the radio playing tunes. As a young child my parents enrolled me in the Suzuki Method to learn violin. That went nowhere quickly. Following that were two years of piano lessons including recitals. The guitar entered my life after the family moved to another town (not really large enough to be called a city). The school district offered lessons over the summer; Thank you C. Vernon Smith. I then picked-up bass to accompany the school choir, directed by Mr. Smith (I sang in either church and/or school choir from age four to eighteen). Never pursuing further guitar lessons, I'm self-taught. Playing guitar is not only a love of mine, it is also a form of therapy. My collection of instruments is as varied as the music I play. For more information follow this link. Visual ArtBecause Dad was a shutterbug, I had my first hand-me-down camera when I was five. My first SLR when I was 16. I've shot for a newspaper as well as two portrait studio chains. I've sold photographic services and digital imaging for a premier photo lab. In fact, I met my lovely and talented wife, Sara, at that photo lab. I still shoot semi-professionally with Scott doing weddings. I use Canon equipment with my main cameras being EOS Elan 7 and 7e. Recently, I purchased a Canon (what else?) Digital Rebel. I seldom use the film cameras anymore. Digital is just so immediate and there's no "cost-per-click" like with film. I'll never give up film, but its nice to have an inexpensive alternative to Polaroids! My delving into digital art began in 1993 when we purchased our first computer...among other reasons, to develop a better understanding of the digital imaging services I sold. It was a monster 486DX2 with 24 megabytes of RAM, ideal for image manipulation (note the sarcasm). I now use a number of programs including Painter (a high-end, fine arts program) and Corel Draw. A Wacom tablet allows for a natural "hand" feel while creating. WritingExpressive writing found me at age 13 when my Mom's health was threatened. For some reason, I picked-up a pen and notebook. Verse I never thought would come from me flowed onto the paper. Stare is one of those pieces written in that first flurry of inspiration. Scott & I have a couple of joint projects in the works (see his bio) as well as my own ideas for novels. The main emphasis of my writing has always been poetry and lyrics, however, and I'm hoping to publish a book of poetry. I've found that writing is an excellent form of therapy and has probably kept me out of prison... |
Phil Phun Phacts:
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