Tell us about your tour vehicle.
Red Honda Fit, 2011, 139k miles, no major repairs but have definitely spent a few nights in that car throughout the years.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I keep a cooler with me for longer tours and go grocery shopping for fresh foods/snacks I can keep on me for a good price instead of always fast foodin’ it.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I honestly don’t break a lot of strings, gentle in spirit and song I suppose. Replacement strings are pretty minimal in cost because of this, less than $100 per year I would venture to guess.
Where do you rehearse?
My rehearsal space is usually just whatever is available to me at the time – bandmate’s houses, my own apartment or house, sometimes rentable space. Nothing crazy to share about these spaces but the occasional stinky bachelor pad I wish I could forget.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
Wow, I don’t know if I could even remember the very first song I wrote! I do remember one that was pretty early on called “Willows” that I would perform with a partner of mine at the time – “beneath the weeping willows pointed west.” I love an alliteration and the feel of certain words and that was what drew me to that lyric.
Describe your first gig.
My very first gig on my own was in Oklahoma City at a place called Kamp’s. I was opening for a friend’s band and I had just taught myself how to play guitar, or at least a few chords. The gig mostly consisted of covers with a few original tunes, but I was so nervous I could barely strum without my hand shaking and messing up the fingering.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
My last, favorite, and current day job is as a curator of Native Art in Tulsa, OK at Philbrook Museum of Art.
How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?
My music-related income has definitely fluctuated over the years depending on how much I am willing to push for touring. I am thankful to have enough relationships with folks at this point to be able to pick and choose what I want to be doing at times, and I am thankful to know when to advocate for myself financially. In 5-10 years I am hopeful that folks continue to place value on the power of the arts to not only bring a sense of humanity but to support local, regional, and national economies and place more value financially on those who do that labor, namely musicians.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
There are so many things I wish I had known when I started, but I am thankful to have learned so much along the way thanks to willing friends, colleagues, mentors, and more. As tax season nears, probably the most important two are to keep track of expenses and receipts and find a good accountant, ha.