May 2022: Room Full of Mirrors
“I used to live in a room full of mirrors; all I could see was me. I take my spirit and I crash my mirrors, now the whole world is here for me to see.”
-Jimi Hendrix
My favorite books to read tend to be rock & roll biographies. Being a guitar player naturally I’ve always been drawn to Jimi Hendrix. I just started reading his book this month and am rediscovering my obsession all over again. There are only a few albums I remember hearing for the first time, but I’ll never forget being 10 years old and picking out Band of Gypsies at Blockbuster Music, putting it on, and being completely blown away by what I was hearing. He didn’t just make music with his guitar; he revolutionized our whole perception of what can be done with an instrument. There are very few artists that can capture the turbulence of an era through music the way that he did with his playing, improvisation, and songwriting. We’re always fascinated by shooting stars who leave a lasting impact in a short amount of time, and I’m always interested in the steps they took along their journeys to reach such blistering heights.
The Struggle in the Rise
“Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed.”
– Bob Riley
Jimi was the oldest of 6 children, 4 of whom were put up for adoption at early ages because their household was too ill equipped to properly raise them all. His parents had a tumultuous on and off again relationship and when he was just 15 years old, his mother died of cirrhosis of the liver at the young age of 33. Jimi was in and out of foster homes growing up because the living conditions his father provided were so poor. He started playing guitar when he was 15 and at age 18, he enlisted in the U.S Army. After one year of service, he was formally discharged and then began his career as a professional musician in 1962. For years, he barely made a living as a sideman, touring the Chitlin Circuit in the segregated south and learning firsthand how to entertain audiences from legends like Little Richard, James Brown, Ike & Tina Turner, & the Isley Brothers. One thing that separated him from his contemporaries at the time was his work ethic. He practiced on the way to shows, in between sets, he even slept with his guitar every night and refused to take on another job that didn’t involve music. His commitment was diehard and completely unwavering. It took him almost 5 years to finally start seeing some success and the rise was very gradual. I’m always inspired by people who never lose focus and their dedications don’t seem to wane despite destitute surroundings. The bigger the commitment, the bigger the payoff.
The Humility in Success
“Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.”
-Thomas Merton
Survival of the struggle is what brings us moments of success while practicing humility keeps us grounded and gives us compassion. Another thing about Jimi is that he always remained extremely humble, regardless of the massive success he achieved in such a short amount of time. He always continued to work incredibly hard while shying away from compliments and not letting admirers or critics interfere with his mission. The work itself is very important but a strong foundation of principles along with the balance of a healthy lifestyle help to ensure longevity and successful outcomes.
How’s the Market
With the rapid increase of interest rates, the real estate market showed some signs of cooling in April and is expected to continue to level out in the upcoming months. The low supply of inventory continues to be an issue for buyers and the unpredictability of the supply chain and stock market is causing further delays with homebuilders to ramp up production of new construction to satisfy the demand. The recent volatility in the stock market has many experts fearing a looming recession. With interest rates predicted to reach 6% by years end in effort to combat inflation, the coming months may be sellers last opportunity to receive top value for their homes while the market is shifting to become more neutral.
Backyard Bash Featuring Hi-Rollers
Nashville, TN
4/30/22
We first brought the idea of putting on a backyard concert to life at my good friends’, Becky & David, house in the Fall of 2020 during the pandemic. We did another one last April of 2021 when things were starting to open up but people were still adjusting to socializing. The first 2 were amazing in their own rights but I felt like by the 3rd, we really knew what we were doing. We had our friend Thomas Galloway open up with a 30-minute acoustic set and then we set sail from there. The weather could not have been more ideal and the energy was vibrant. We played from 5-7 pm with guests galore and an audience filled with kids running around and some getting to watch their parents hop up for an impromptu song or two. It was such a blast and always nice to bring neighbors and friends together to hang out and enjoy some live music. Very Nashville. Looking forward to the next in the Fall!