Unique Soul, Weird World (nonfiction), sample page:
When Jerry was in eighth grade, his fascination with music began to get serious. At that time, he had a good friend named Brett Anderson. Brett’s older brother exposed Jerry to a whole new world of alternative music.
The turning point for Jerry was when he and Brett stopped listening only to the radio. They started searching the Web, and downloading music from underground bands. In addition, they talked to older kids about the different types of music they were into. It was all about digging up new, hidden music. When Jerry and Brett came across good new bands, it was twice as rewarding. “Pop music can be shoved down your throat if you let it,” Jerry says. “I look hard to find my music. I don’t just let it find me.”
Their musical journey continued. The two friends discovered that just listening wasn’t enough anymore. They were driven to make music of their own. Brett was a guitar player and they knew a kid who was a drummer. They had another friend who could sing. All they needed was a bass player. Jerry decided that he was the man for the job. So he bought a bass guitar and learned how to play. It took only a few months for Jerry and Brett to go from fans to members of a band.
Jerry had never taken any music lessons, but he showed talent for the bass. It helped that he was enthusiastic. Jerry practiced all the time, both with the guys and on his own. Next thing they knew, “Next to Nothing” was born. Braden, one of the band members, came up with the name. It’s a pretty clever name, especially because of what it means . . . absolutely nothing (actually, next to nothing!). It was the perfect name to capture the spirit of this cool new band.
Next to Nothing consisted of eighth and ninth graders. None of them had much experience playing or performing. Still, they ended up doing very well for several years. They even traveled to Bismarck, North Dakota and recorded a demo at a recording studio. It contained three songs that they wrote themselves. People at their school and in Beulah liked the demo. That led to the band’s greatest accomplishment: live performances.
Over a period of three years, Next to Nothing did a number of shows in Beulah. They would rent out the rec. center and charge a few bucks at the door. “It wasn’t about making money,” Jerry explains. “It was about having fun and playing for an audience. We wanted everybody to come and have a great time. We charged just enough to break even.”
The formula was a total success. At one of their shows, over 400 people showed up. Remember, Beulah is a very small town, so that’s pretty amazing. Another time, the band got a taste of what it must be like for real rock stars. The mother of one of the band members rented a limo for them. They showed up to their gig in superstar style!
The turning point for Jerry was when he and Brett stopped listening only to the radio. They started searching the Web, and downloading music from underground bands. In addition, they talked to older kids about the different types of music they were into. It was all about digging up new, hidden music. When Jerry and Brett came across good new bands, it was twice as rewarding. “Pop music can be shoved down your throat if you let it,” Jerry says. “I look hard to find my music. I don’t just let it find me.”
Their musical journey continued. The two friends discovered that just listening wasn’t enough anymore. They were driven to make music of their own. Brett was a guitar player and they knew a kid who was a drummer. They had another friend who could sing. All they needed was a bass player. Jerry decided that he was the man for the job. So he bought a bass guitar and learned how to play. It took only a few months for Jerry and Brett to go from fans to members of a band.
Jerry had never taken any music lessons, but he showed talent for the bass. It helped that he was enthusiastic. Jerry practiced all the time, both with the guys and on his own. Next thing they knew, “Next to Nothing” was born. Braden, one of the band members, came up with the name. It’s a pretty clever name, especially because of what it means . . . absolutely nothing (actually, next to nothing!). It was the perfect name to capture the spirit of this cool new band.
Next to Nothing consisted of eighth and ninth graders. None of them had much experience playing or performing. Still, they ended up doing very well for several years. They even traveled to Bismarck, North Dakota and recorded a demo at a recording studio. It contained three songs that they wrote themselves. People at their school and in Beulah liked the demo. That led to the band’s greatest accomplishment: live performances.
Over a period of three years, Next to Nothing did a number of shows in Beulah. They would rent out the rec. center and charge a few bucks at the door. “It wasn’t about making money,” Jerry explains. “It was about having fun and playing for an audience. We wanted everybody to come and have a great time. We charged just enough to break even.”
The formula was a total success. At one of their shows, over 400 people showed up. Remember, Beulah is a very small town, so that’s pretty amazing. Another time, the band got a taste of what it must be like for real rock stars. The mother of one of the band members rented a limo for them. They showed up to their gig in superstar style!