The Music

What does an eight year old know about the blues? Ask Willow's inner child this question. The culture of Hip-Hop brought refuge to Willow's soul in the late seventies and early eighties. The Sugar Hill Gang and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five rocked her to sleep at night and shook her awake in the morning. Yes, yes y'all...to the beat y'all...and you don't stop!

One of Willow's fondest memories is of music. She would sit in front of her mother's stereo in the living room, stack up a bunch of her favorite 45s, and get lost in lyrics and melodies that took her to places beyond the walls of the home where each day brought her fears and discomfort.

Willow listened to everything from Betty Wright to Smokey Robinson to Bobby Womack to Candi Staton and everything else in between. However, Hip-Hop was a personal favorite she reserved for her bedroom listening pleasure.

Willow would even go to bed next to her own stereo because the cord to her headphones didn't reach the bed.

She started playing musical instruments at the age of ten; she started with the flute (not the real kind, but the red plastic kind). From there, she wanted a real instrument. So, she started playing the violin. There was a class offered at her elementary school. She enjoyed playing the violin. She took to it very easily. Her first recital at school was fun and then she started thinking even bigger.

She begged and begged and begged her mother for a piano and lessons. Finally after several months, her mother complied and Willow was taking private piano lessons at Leeds' Music Center with a man who called himself, Dr. Ray. He was eccentric, but a lot of fun. His personality was such that Willow laughed all the time. It was a definitely a place of peace for her. She looked forward to her visits with Mr. Dr. Ray as she called him.

But now, an adult, no Dr. Ray, no piano, no lessons to look forward to, just a wishful thought of capturing a childhood dream deferred or...one that is preferred.