Over 20 years ago I picked up a guitar at a swap meet and taught myself to play a few chords an immediately began writing songs about my life. I found that this was my talent, to put ordinary life into songs. Within 9 months of teaching myself guitar, I got my first paying gig at Cypress College, Cypress, California. I got $50. From that moment on it was like magic, I began playing at writers conferences and other events and getting paid to perform songs about: my children, father, mother, grandmother, siblings, husband, money problems, birth control, problems of having a job and children at the same time. I knew that my songs sounded nothing like the songs on the radio. But somehow people didn’t care, or the did care to hear songs that had something to do with their real life.
In the 1990’s, I began to play guitar for Otis Roy, the Pomona Blue Yodeler. He was a Jimmie Rogers imitator. What I found out was that my songs had a lot of similarities to Jimmie’s songs in that he often wrote songs about real life. Otis and Penelope became a fixture in the country music scene; we played many festivals and country events and played at some of the major and minor country clubs in Southern California. Otis sang Jimmie’s songs and some songs about Jimmie that I helped Otis write and I sang my songs and did my award-winning imitation of Minnie Pearl. (I won first place in the celebrity look- alike contest at the Los Angeles County Fair.) We ha a lot of fun and made pretty good money. Otis always came home and put his money I a sock. I spent mine as soon as I got it I am afraid. During this time, I produced several videos. One is “Now That’s Country,” with four musicians who idolized and actually met Jimmie Rogers back in the 30’s. I was quite proud of that show--it is not easy to do a one-hour show with four musicians who have so much to share. I also did several show with just Otis and I. I recently found a copy of one of these shows and put it on youtube yesterday. Otis has gone to country blues heaven, but I think he would be so happy to know that he continues to introduce people to his idol, Jimmie Rogers. I am happy that I can introduce Otis, Babe Sims, Lee Dacus, and Carl Walden to people.
During this time I met a man in a park, Bob Shreves, and he suggested that I go into a recording studio with my songs. I told him I didn’t know how to work with musicians. He said that he would teach me and get the musicians. This began my band era of five years. We played all of the big country clubs and most of the little country clubs, earning $250 a night, five nights a week. During the day I took care of my children and had a teaching job. It was fun and exciting. I was awarded The Vocalist of the Year by the California Country Music Association during this time. I don’t think this could happen now. At this time the song was as important as the vocalist. In truth, I am just a plain country singing--no great voice. In fact when I learned to play guitar at age thirty I had never sung outside my bathroom. I used to say, “I’m not a singer but no one else knows my songs,” and then I’d sing. Finally after three years my friends told me that I couldn’t say this anymore, so I sort of taught myself to sing by listening to Patsy Cline, Loretta Lyn, Emmylou Harris, Carol King and the like. I liked it best when the song was more important than the vocals.
I have a theory of what happened to the live music scene in Southern California and probably all over the states. Karaoke! Sales people came into the club owners, who were paying $250 a night and up for bands. They told them they had this machine which would allow their customers to sing--and that they were sure the customers would be willing to pay a $1 a song. This is what happened. Customers were willing to pay a $1 a song. Club owners could pay for their machines, which were expensive back then, by charging the dollar and not hiring a band.
Following this, came the synthesizer and those clubs who didn’t go complete karaoke began to hire 1 or two musicians to entertain--probably a $100 a night, saving a $150 or more a night.
From my view this is what contributed to the now pay to play music scene we have today.
When the band was no longer making enough money, “Penelope and a Little Bit of Gold,” folded. I went back to playing solo, where I made more money than I did with the band. It is not the same, a song does not sound as good as with a band, but just vocals and guitar does make the words stand out, one must look at the good side.
Because of a bad legal contract that tied up my country songs for some years and because I am into ecology, I began writing children’s ecology songs and musicals. I perform these musicals as puppet shows. Please visit www.1worldmusicandpuppets.com. Since then I have performed in manyfestivals, schools, clubs and events presenting interactive musical puppet shows in Southern California and beyond.
I now have nine cds, six children’s cds and three adult cds. The internet has been a great boon for me. I sell my albums and downloads on cdbaby.com, amazon.com, and my own web sites: http://www.singingaboutlife.com and http://www.guardiansoftheearth.com.
I guess I rambled from the topic of calling for a genre “Singing About Life,” but things haven’t changed. I still write from life--even if it is in the voice of a sloth, a rat, and a t-rex. I love the freedom of writing songs from all the other genres-blues, rock, rap, pop. It makes me hard to market I guess. Nevertheless, as long as people are living real lives I think there is an audience for songs that can help people get through the bad times and celebrate the good times.
I am lucky to have met many great people and great musicians, like Otis and Babe, Brad Stubbs, Bruce Wandmyer, Bob Shreves, Chris Fisher, Carl Walden, Lee Dacus, Gilli Moon. Whoa, I had better stop because I can’t list them all.
I love the indie music scene which gives people a change to meet different kinds of singer-songwriters and musicians. I am wondering if any of you agree with the need to have a new songwriting genre?
Penelope Torribio
http://singingaboutlife .blogspot.com
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
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