I’ve lived in the pallet all of my life. My entire family was gifted in the arts. My father was an accomplished painter. My mother a writer. My oldest sister a composer, another sister a thespian, another a pianist, my brother an artist, another sister a clothing designer, and my youngest sister was good at everything. But in truth they were all multitalented--from the oldest to the youngest.
My father, who worked as an engineer for McDonnell Douglas, was an exceptional artist, but he also played electric guitar, and was an amazing male vocalist. He had the perfect male tenor voice--smooth, strong, and unaffected. When he would perform in church it sent shivers down your spine. Like me, he also loved emerging technology. He shot photos, and captured family movies on his 8 mm long before I was born. It seemed that we were always first on the block to have the latest innovation: the first colored TV, first polaroid, the first photostatic copier, the first high functioning math calculator, the first video game, the first home video camera and recorder, etc.
My mother was always entering and winning contests with her writing and poetry. She won a TV, bicycle, etc. One time she actually won a pony, but we didn’t have a place to keep it. She could also play honky-tonk piano. Virtually all of my five sisters played piano, and all of my siblings learned to play guitar. In addition, my sisters sang as an alternating trio, who seemed to rotate in the younger talent every time one would get married.
My eldest sister Judy graduated high school early and was composing songs at 17 while attending college. I remember her performing one of her songs with a children’s choir that she directed when I was in kindergarten. But she had been singing, performing, and cutting records with her vocal instructor since she was knee high. She was like a little Shirley Temple performing long before I was a glint. She was the one who exposed us to the modern music of the late 50’s & early 60’s. I have a deepseated love for the music of that era. Nothing triggers my memory and emotions like that music. It takes me back to days spent with her at the beach. I also remember watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan due to her coaxing my dad. She was so cool and high tech that she even had a record player in her car! Just before she got married she was being lined up to become an alto back-up singer for the Carpenters, but she chose the domestic life instead. It was her brain that I picked when I wanted to learn music theory. Ironically, I would eventually show her how to record and orchestrate her songs with newly emerging digital technology. While music was her forte she also had many other talents, including painting along side my father. The smell of oils drying around the house was a familiar scent.
My second eldest sister Susan was most known for her dramatic achievements, but she could belt like Barbara Streisand as well. She could hit a B above high C. I remember her stellar performance in high school where she played Annie Oakley in the musical Oklahoma while battling laryngitis. She was amazing. She also was the first to become a guitar instructor. She went on to compose many songs as well, but in her earlier days she was also an accomplished artist. To this day I love her paintings. She eventually went on to received a Bachelors degree in Communications.
My third sister Margie became quite the pianist, as well as a guitar player. To this day she teaches piano and guitar lessons out of her home. She eventually received a BA in music and has composed several songs. Due to her placement in the middle of five girls she always was a part of the family trio of girls. Now when I say that their harmonies were good, I mean they were “Crosby, Stills, and Nash” good! Maybe better--never a sour note.
My brother Bob paved the way before me in being recognized as an artist. He won the same award in Junior high for the Best Artist, two years before I was awarded the same. We formed our first band together, but we only learned to play a few Creedence songs. He played guitar, and I played a bass that was heavier than me. We shared a love of sports and we learned to surf together. We even made our own surfboards.
My fourth and younger sister Sharon directed her creativity into being a seamstress and designing clothes. She was also an accomplished pianist, and along with my other sisters blended her voice into their harmonies. She had always focused her energies into scholastics. Consequently, she received a BA in Elementary Education, and went on to become a teacher.
My youngest sister Lisa ended up adopting all of the family's talents. She was a good artist, pianist, guitar player, composer, and singer. She also excelled at sports. She received her degree in Nutrition.
As you can see, being a member of my family was like growing up in an artist’s colony, though I must admit I was probably the most “eccentric” in my pursuits, passion, and personality. Consequently, I often neglected scholastics, which I found boring, choosing instead to spend my time creating. Indeed, during my primary education I was the worst student in my family. But as fate would have it, I buckled down in college and ironically graduated before any of my siblings (with a very high GPA I might add). Ultimately, I received a BFA in film and went on to further hone my multimedia interests.
