Blues, Music Industry & Yodelodehooo

I have probably mentioned before that my voice has been classically trained. Eight years of lessons and nearly constant singing earned me an unusual voice and range.  Tooting my own horn here, I can still fucking SING. 

I had my first professional gigs by age 15-16 singing and playing guitar in the nightclubs and blues bars in downtown St. Louis.  I had huge restrictions as a minor--such as I could never approach the bar, and I had to have an adult guardian present at all times while in an adult venue. 

My last gig was doing studio work with a 12-string in '95.  (Surprising how few 12-string players are available for studio sessions, and how few there are in general.)  I was doing all this while holding down a full time day job.  Ugh.  I gradually let the music business slip away. 

So I picked up the guitar again, having no day job, and being extremely ill with nothing else to do to occupy my time.  And yes, I have played till my fingers bled...not active bleeding, just a few little blood blisters on the fingertips.  I've been playing daily - still really slow, but it's coming back a little at a time.  It's not quite like riding a bicycle, but I know it's buried in my brain somewhere. (At least I'm starting to get some decent callouses again. Ouch in the meantime.)

I ran across a yodeler on YouTube today and it piqued my interest.  I wouldn't be caught dead yodeling under ordinary circumstances, but I've been yodeling all damned day and it's kind of fun!  It sounds like an indistinct cross between a Cajun swamp person and Swiss goat herder. Jesus.  I am a Bastard Yodeler! My aim is to get the dogs to yodel along with me.  If I can do that I promise to film and post!