Well, maybe I'm not quite a rocker yet, but I do rock out at home and I'm starting to show signs of rocking out in public. That title is actually from a sticker I saw at SPX a couple year's ago when I went to see Monica there. Anyway, last night at Oliver's was really fun because the whole gang was there to see Terri & Steve's son, Ryan, play one of his first gigs. Jason Thompson, Ryan's guitar instructor and fellow rocker, was proud as punch and played with Ryan on several of his songs. I actually played a little earlier than normal, which meant there were quite a few more people there than when I normally play. But I felt good and I think I played well. Every time I play I loosen up more. When I first started singing in front of people with Greg, I would be so terrified that it was as if I'd entered another dimension, like being in a dream or having an out of body experience. Now, however, I'm able to think on my feet much more and I'm more in tune with what I'm doing and what's going on around me. I've also had enough compliments and constructive criticism that I'm not constantly trying to detect whether or not people hate my voice. I know I'm not a great singer, but I think I do ok. I also recognize that everyone has different tastes and I need to be prepared for when someone flat out tells me I suck. There are singers who I love, but some of my friends can't stand (Chris Cornell, Thom Yorke, and Billy Corgan are perfect examples). To each his own.

I can't express enough how much I appreciate my friends who have helped me and encouraged me in taking the first steps to playing music live. For me, what's happening is something much larger than playing music in front of people; this is an opportunity to confront some of my fears and come out of the shell I've been hiding myself in for the past few years. And I'm having so much fun.