Girls Like Us

I have been steeping myself in music biographies and songwriting books lately.

When I drop off my oldest at weekly art class, and my other two want to browse Barnes and Noble, I take advantage with a pile of free books.

I am beginning to write poems in a steno notebook that I hope will turn into songs someday.

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I've also been checking out lots of books from the library.

Recently finished Girls Like Us which is about three female singers from the 70's: Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and Carole King. Fascinating time in music history.

They were successful, sure, but I find their cavalier attitude about sex sad. They thought they had the freedom to just start and stop relationships, but ultimately I would think that it would get old and empty pretty fast. I have been married 17 years and it hasn't gotten old. Sure, we have to work at keeping the flame alive, but it's wonderful to have a stable relationship with a great guy.

I told my mother-in-law that I am shocked how pervasive drug use was then, and she said, it's really worse now. Maybe more accepted, even.

I must be living in a bubble, because I don't see this. And then I realized that growing up in hard-drinking, hard-smoking Philippines is so different now that I live in my Utah neighborhood.

Jimi Who?

I grew up on Henry Mancini, Carpenters, and Burt Bacharach. In high school, I watched a lot of MTV so I could carry on an intelligent discussion with my friends at school the next day. In college, I indulged in Latin music and classical music depending on my date for the weekend.

My senior year, my boyfriend-now-husband introduced me to classic rock from the 60's and 70's. He took me fishing and played Doobie Brothers on their boat. We spent a lot of time listening to his long-playing records while he cooked Hamburger Helper for me in his apartment. Because I always associated his music with good food and company, the music began to grow on me.

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But he didn't get to Jimi Hendrix. I have a play list of standards that my band, who had a male lead singer previously, would like me to learn and it includes a couple of his songs.

Three words: Are they serious?

L said, "Sometimes, it's neat to hear a female cover male rock songs."

I watched Jimi on You Tube and felt my heart sinking to my toes. I couldn't possibly cover that, could I? Of course, I didn't think I'd ever be posting about my adventures as the lead singer for a band.