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Terri Hendrix on Lessons Learned Waiting Tables and Being a Protein Junkie

Tuesday, November 26, 2019 By Mayer Danzig

Photo credit: Kim Maguire

Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?

I’m actually on my 5th or 6th vehicle in 8 years. These days I’m in a red Chrysler Town and Country. It’s a 2006 with 132,000. No major repairs. No notable breakdown stories (knock on wood). I have lots of stories about trains and planes. We usually fly in, rent a car, take a train, and do the tour if it’s too far to drive. Too far to drive is anything over 20 hours to reach.

How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?

I am a protein junkie. I buy protein snacks and bring them on the road with me. I joined “Ideal Protein” group August 2018. I lost weight and have a goal of keeping it off. It’s really easy to stress eat. Traveling can be stressful. I like peanut butter sandwiches and will often eat one right after I play to ward off the late night cravings for junk food.

How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?

I change strings a whole lot. I am fortunate to have a deal from GHS Strings. I hate breaking them on stage, so I am pretty meticulous about changing them.

Where do you rehearse?

My rehearsal space is either at my home studio or at a facility in Austin. One time I was recording here and rehearsing here and a cow was mooing so loud I couldn’t get anything done. It was raining and cold and windy. Regardless, I went outside to try and get the cow away from the house. In doing so I slipped on a snake. I live in the country. Was definitely weird.

What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?

My brother is a female dog. That’s all I remember. I was in the 4th grade.

Describe your first gig.

My first gig was at Katy Station in San Marcos, Texas. I was scared and threw up right before I played. I wore a goofy hat and it kept slipping off my head. I couldn’t get my guitar parts right. I was doing all this country blues stuff at the time and my hands were shaking too bad to nail it. The bar was loud. Folks were talking loud.

What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?

My last day job was waiting tables. If every single politician had to wait tables, they would do their job better. Being in the service industry changed me. It definitely changes the way you work with other people. My favorite day job was waiting tables. I really did enjoy making folks happy. WORST one was selling roses for Harry Little in seedy clubs in downtown San Antonio. I only lasted one day on that job.

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 first demo was on a DAT tape. Then cassette. Then I qualified for my home based on CD sales. I had a proven record of earning a solid income off CD sales. Once I sold 1000 CDs I was in the green. That was $15,000. From there on out everything was profit. I ran a little Amazon.com before it was Amazon.com. Bypassed labels because Lloyd Maines and I were doing well independently handling our own business. We did huge mail outs. $1000 + postage bills a month. We had national airplay and toured around the airplay. Bug Music was Bug Music and not BMG. This meant we had folks that actually cared about our music publishing. I felt like we had an advocate. We did smart things that laid the groundwork for where I am today. We kept our masters. We had a real successful run as independent artists releasing CDs.

In 2006 we released a kid’s record that continues to be my saving grace. We ended up with something of a hit on that record called, “Nerves”. We continue to do well on Sound Exchange because of this song.

But I’m laying the groundwork for that all to change. I ordered the last CDs I’ll ever order October 2019. I’m done making CDs. Downloads are next on the chopping block. Streaming is here. Will it hurt my income? Yes. And because of that kid’s record, it’s real hard to have streaming stations pick up on any of my other music. They have me categorized in “Children’s Music”. But I refuse to cave into negativity. I’ll find a way to get my music out there. I always do.

What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?

You can not outperform your own image of yourself. Embrace who and what you are as an artist. Don’t compare yourself to others. Chill out. Enjoy the ride, or change drivers, or take the wheel.

Terri Hendrix is a pioneering independent Texas songwriter who spins sorrow into joy and wrings wisdom from the blues with a poetic grace and engaging melodic flair that has endeared her to three generations of fans around the globe. Recognized by Acoustic Guitar Magazine as one of Texas’ 20 essential contemporary singer-songwriters, Hendrix has released 18 albums since her 1996 debut, Two Dollar Shoes, all on her own Wilory Records label.

As the owner of the masters to every album she’s ever made, “Terri is truly a self-made woman” (as music legend Al Kooper observed). That autonomy has allowed her the freedom to dodge musical pigeonholes her entire career by weaving folk, pop, country, blues and jazz into an eclectic style all her own, which makes for an energetic and spiritually uplifting live show in any setting, from listening rooms and house concerts to theaters to outdoor festivals.

Along the way, she’s also co-written a Grammy-winning instrumental (the Dixie Chicks’ “Lilâ Jack Slade”), and garnered such honors as a star on the South Texas Music Walk of Fame, the Art of Peace Award by Saint Mary’s University in San Antonio, the Distinguished Alumni Award at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, and a 2015 induction into the Women’s Hall of Fame in San Marcos, Texas.

Her proudest achievement to date is the OYOU (“Own Your Own Universe”), the 501 C3 non-profit she founded in 2013. Based in Martindale and San Marcos, Texas, the OYOU’s mission is to make the arts accessible to everyone, regardless of age, income, social, or mobility issues, through a variety of workshops, concerts, and retreats.

Hendrix has just released the final installments of Project 5, a collection of four stylistically diverse but thematically linked albums and an autobiography. Connect with Hendrix online and on the road.

Filed Under: Acoustic, Americana, Folk, Interviews, Why It Matters Tagged With: Terri Hendrix

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