Who is the "man behind the curtain"?

He's a dreamer, a lover, a part time optimist, and a real lover of music.

He's me.

I first became interested in music when I was a wee lad - my mom was a music person as well, and always encouraged my interest in music and radio. She and other family and friends started buying me kiddie records before my cognizant memory existed, because to me, I always had them. And a little G.E. Portable record player too. Slowly, I invaded my mom's collection of records, and my own collection began to grow as well, because she would buy me a new record as a treat every time I had to go to the doctor for a Gamma Globulin shot, which was every six weeks for two years. Between family, friends, TV, and Radio, I was immersed in music from the very beginning.

I have varied tastes, and like my mom before me, I have a tolerance for all kinds of music, except maybe opera - not a huge fan of that. I grew up in the late 60s and 70s, and so my musical tastes have been colored by that era. I preferred bubblegum and teen idol pop when I was smaller, but I grew to love disco in the late 70s as well. And I didn't really cut my teeth on real rock music, aside from a song or two here or there, until I was a sophomore in high school, when I discovered AOR radio.

I can show you how diverse my tastes are, but i'm gonna usurp an old Steve Martin comedy bit to do it...so this is TC's...um, musical philosophy, so to speak, I guess...anyway, time for...

WHAT I BELIEVE

I believe that there's a place in the music industry for all types of music, though I personally have little use for hardcore rap, most country music, or opera...

I believe that it's criminal that music fans in the US have not yet made Alison Moyet or Jann Arden household words, though both have achieved such in their native countries, the UK and Canada respectively....

I believe that it is possible to be a teen heartthrob at one point in your career and still be taken seriously later when it becomes evident that the same talent you exhibited as a teen heartthrob is still in evidence and has matured into an even greater talent over the years. If you have no idea what i'm talking about, you are obviously oblivious to the band the Village Voice named in 2008 as "the true face of american indie rock music" - and it's bound to cause you consternation to know that the band that was granted this honor was....Hanson. They are NOT just "MMM Bop" anymore, and haven't been for a long long LONG time...and if you don't realize that fact by now, it's YOUR loss...

I believe that U2 is perhaps the most overrated band of all time...which isn't to say I don't like their music, because I do...but they are NOT the gods some fans claim they are...

I believe that some of the best songwriters should stay as far away from a microphone as possible - Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, et al...

I believe the same about some actors - Scott Baio, Pierce Brosnan, William Shatner, et al...

I believe in the old axiom "only the good die young".. it's the only way to explain why so many performers leave us far too young - Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Karen Carpenter, Jim Croce, John Lennon, Andy Gibb, John Denver, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley...the list goes on and on and on...

I believe that "Groove Is In The Heart" by Dee-light is quite possibly the most nerve-wracking, insanity-inducing song to ever have been a hit...with an equally nerve-wracking video to match...and Billy Swan's "I Can Help" is a close second, despite it's inexplicable presence in Gus Van Zant's 2008 masterpiece "Paranoid Park"...

I believe three of the most grossly overrated songs of all time are "Stairway To Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam, and "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd...

I'm sure they'll be more to come...heh heh heh...

PERSONAL FAVORITES

Among my personal favorites list you'll find a very diverse group of musical acts. I consider the following my favorite acts:

Jann Arden, Hanson, Alyson Moyet, Carpenters, Hanson, Eminem, Def Leppard, Owl City, Reba McEntire, Backstreet Boys, Adam Lambert, Sam Harris, Garth Brooks, Michael Giacchino, Jerry Goldsmith, Hans Zimmer, Craig Chaquico, Dave Grusin, David Benoit, Basia, Cher, Ashley MacIssac, Celtic Thunder, and scores more...