Passion
A topic that is probably one day late for those of you who celebrated yesterday. But I speak of a different passion. A passion I was reminded of this weekend in Green Lake, Wisconsin.
For those of you who know the story or heard me talk about it, the musical artist Willy Porter has had a pretty big effect on my life. I was first introduced to Willy's music in high school when I would attend the Dead Alewives Comedy Troupe in Milwaukee. At the time it was just Willy and his guitar. I was amazed that one person could play guitar that well (for those of you who are John Mayer or Dave Matthews fans you would appreciate Willy's guitar playing...to quote my friend Kyle "How is it possible that his hands move that fast?").
Willy's musical ability is as strong as his songwriter. He's mostly folk but has enough of a modern kick similar to a Tori Amos or Ani DeFranco. His lyrics often tell a story more than a message. You can almost envision the people he sings about. And as a live performer, he'll invent songs on the spot based upon audience suggestions.
In addition to the fact that one of his songs, Watercolor, is of course the song in the Mia story I often tell at conferences, and his music is always good, the thing I admire most about Willy is his dedication to his craft while maintaining who he is as a person.
Willy has traveled all over the country playing in some pretty popular and well known places in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, as well as doing tours in Europe. He's opened for Tori Amos, Jethro Tull, and the Cranberries. And during all of this he keeps his home in Milwaukee, and recently has bought a studio there where he will launch his own record label.
And he still balances his passion for music with his other passion: his wife and kids. At a concert once he actually called her when she pregnant with their first child and had the crowd say hello to her. He will constantly talk about the funny things his kids do (they're still young) and during concerts really comes off as a humble hard working man.
When talking about dreaming and achieving what you want, many people, including myself, are often worried about being able to be ambitious and do what you want while also having and raising a loving family. Obviously some sacrifices are made along the way. But it's possible to achieve those things as long as you're willing to work toward and be patient with how things develop in life.
Willy's life personally and professionally demonstrates that this can be achieved. And on Saturday as I listened to him talk about how his son gave the name for one of his songs (Sleepy Little) and how his daughter inspired another, I was once again inspired to know that you can always be connected to your roots while achieving your ambitious dreams.
For more on Willy and his music please check out these two sites:
www.willyporter.com Official Site
http://www.archive.org/audio/etreelisting-browse.php?collection=etree&cat=Willy%20Porter%20%5BBand%5D A site where you can download live music from performers.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHT:
I'd like to also say thanks to some friends of mine who hung out with me last night. Without getting into too much personal detail this Valetine's day was more rough than previous days. But last night I had a great group of folks remind that laughter can remedy any ailment, and I appreciate them for that. Thanks friends!
For those of you who know the story or heard me talk about it, the musical artist Willy Porter has had a pretty big effect on my life. I was first introduced to Willy's music in high school when I would attend the Dead Alewives Comedy Troupe in Milwaukee. At the time it was just Willy and his guitar. I was amazed that one person could play guitar that well (for those of you who are John Mayer or Dave Matthews fans you would appreciate Willy's guitar playing...to quote my friend Kyle "How is it possible that his hands move that fast?").
Willy's musical ability is as strong as his songwriter. He's mostly folk but has enough of a modern kick similar to a Tori Amos or Ani DeFranco. His lyrics often tell a story more than a message. You can almost envision the people he sings about. And as a live performer, he'll invent songs on the spot based upon audience suggestions.
In addition to the fact that one of his songs, Watercolor, is of course the song in the Mia story I often tell at conferences, and his music is always good, the thing I admire most about Willy is his dedication to his craft while maintaining who he is as a person.
Willy has traveled all over the country playing in some pretty popular and well known places in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, as well as doing tours in Europe. He's opened for Tori Amos, Jethro Tull, and the Cranberries. And during all of this he keeps his home in Milwaukee, and recently has bought a studio there where he will launch his own record label.
And he still balances his passion for music with his other passion: his wife and kids. At a concert once he actually called her when she pregnant with their first child and had the crowd say hello to her. He will constantly talk about the funny things his kids do (they're still young) and during concerts really comes off as a humble hard working man.
When talking about dreaming and achieving what you want, many people, including myself, are often worried about being able to be ambitious and do what you want while also having and raising a loving family. Obviously some sacrifices are made along the way. But it's possible to achieve those things as long as you're willing to work toward and be patient with how things develop in life.
Willy's life personally and professionally demonstrates that this can be achieved. And on Saturday as I listened to him talk about how his son gave the name for one of his songs (Sleepy Little) and how his daughter inspired another, I was once again inspired to know that you can always be connected to your roots while achieving your ambitious dreams.
For more on Willy and his music please check out these two sites:
www.willyporter.com Official Site
http://www.archive.org/audio/etreelisting-browse.php?collection=etree&cat=Willy%20Porter%20%5BBand%5D A site where you can download live music from performers.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHT:
I'd like to also say thanks to some friends of mine who hung out with me last night. Without getting into too much personal detail this Valetine's day was more rough than previous days. But last night I had a great group of folks remind that laughter can remedy any ailment, and I appreciate them for that. Thanks friends!
posted by Peter Brooks at 12:42 PM
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