ALISON O'DONNELL
- GUEST MUSICIAN
AND AUTHOR -
G'day folks,
Well, here is my interview with an inspiring musician and author.
Welcome, Alison ...
1. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND
YOUR creative JOURNEY.
I started singing at
the age of 16 after my uncle saw me in a school talent show and hired me on the
spot to front his band. I caught the creative bug and have been exploring my
talents ever since. When my now ex-husband said married women don’t belong on
stage, I had to quit singing. After we got divorced, I decided to try my hand
at stand-up comedy and did well, so I kept at it. But then I became pregnant
and needed to focus on single parenthood. I became a teacher so I could have my
daughter’s hours. I always loved writing and words, so it was high school
English for me, helping teens improve their writing skills. I also tutored
illiterate adults. It seemed fitting that I should one day write a book. After
so many horrible online dating experiences, I decided I could combine my comedy
and writing skills into a book that would be both humorous and practical—so
that others don’t have to suffer as I have! And now I have a children’s book in
the works. Got a few more ideas in other genres. I have genre ADD, apparently.
2.
WERE YOU INTERESTED IN
MUSIC AS A KID? WHAT TYPES OF MUSIC?
I grew up listening to the radio a lot, so
classic 70s rock has always been a favorite. As for books, I read murder
mysteries or spy intrigue. Authors such as James Patterson and Nelson DeMille
are favorites.
3.
WHEN AND HOW DID YOU
BECOME A MUSICIAN?
You know I started
singing in bands at 16. At the age of nine, I took piano lessons from a nun at
school. At 12 I took guitar lessons from another nun, and parochial schools
tend to have students singing in church at a young age, so my vocal pipes got
strengthened early. Still, I spent my allowance on private singing lessons for a
while. At 17 I got curious about bass guitar and studied that. And while
waiting for our band’s guitarist, always late for practice, I got playing
pointers from our drummer (musical ADD as well). Writing, I started reading at
a young age and loved books. School teachers would encourage us to write
stories using our weekly vocabulary words, and I ate that up each week! I went
to college for photo journalism (BA in Mass Communications) and got a job
writing corporate newsletters for the US Postal Service. But that was so
corporate. Once I began teaching English, it was only fitting that I write a
book! (It’s said, “Those who can’t do, teach.” Well, I DID do!)
4.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST
ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I get to travel and
meet cool people. It was never about the money, which is non-existent.
5.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST
THING ABOUT BEING A MUSICIAN/AUTHOR?
Well, there ARE bills
to be paid… so I work at other odd jobs to make money. But this doesn’t
necessarily take away from my writing time. I make the time when the mood
strikes. Getting people interested in what I do is very difficult. I’m
self-published, so there’s no big publishing firm marketing around the world
for me while I put my feet up. I sell one book at a time, either at book
signings or just word of mouth.
6.
DO YOU WORK FOR
YOURSELF, OTHERS OR BOTH?
For myself. Although
Amazon and my hired publisher take a piece of each sale.
7.
WHAT WERE YOU IN A
PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME INVOLVED IN MAKING MUSIC?
I had various odd jobs
as a kid, including egg candler at a factory! You’d be amazed what can happen
to a chicken’s egg before the perfect ones get to your market!
8.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST
ACHIEVEMENT?
Completing the book!
Or, having a child. But if we’re talking creatively, that book took two years
to complete and STILL I wasn’t ready. The publisher said, “Eventually you have
to hand it over.” So I did. But I still go back to it wishing I’d said THIS or
THAT. A second edition is forthcoming. Once I raise the money.
9.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING
ON AT THE MOMENT?
The Adventures of
Gizmo. It’s a children’s book, but aren’t we all kids at heart? Gizmo was an
AWESOME dog I had, a few dogs back now, who got himself into all kinds of crazy
scraps. I thought it would make a good story book. And, once it’s done (need money
for illustrations…), I’ll have two different books on my sales table, which
will attract more attention for me.
10.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE
TYPE OF MUSIC?
I love it all, but still going with classic
70s rock.
11.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
I love seeing people moved
to tears, hearing about hair-raising moments—like when a great singer hits an
amazing note with feeling. When those things happen, I wanna BE that person, or
at least be the person who causes that sensation.
12.
DO YOU HAVE A
COLLECTION OF MUSIC? WHAT?
My collection is so
varied in every direction (music ADD, haha). I have disco on 8 track, Barbra
Streisand on vinyl, baroque on cassette, jazz on CD… Ironically, I don’t own an
mp3 or anything, I just listen to Sirius radio and keep changing the channel to
whatever strikes my mood.
13.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS
FOR EMERGING MUSICIANS/AUTHORS?
Stay true to yourself,
and try to keep creative ownership. Nobody else should own your stuff. Nothing
sucks worse than losing good stuff to someone else who puts his name on it and
profits from it. Ask around for a reputable manager, never hand over material
without representation!
14.
DO YOU HAVE A
PREFERRED SCHEDULE?
Yes! It’s called:
whenever I want!
15.
DO YOU HAVE A
FAVOURITE PLACE OR TIME TO WORK?
I like weekend festivals.
Lots of people come out. I’m a people watcher. Everyone’s in a happy mood at
festivals.
16.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST
JOY IN YOUR WORK?
I love the creative process. Sitting down to
bang it out. Perfecting it over and over and over and… hearing from adoring
fans how much they loved what I did.
17.
WHAT’S THE GREATEST
COMPLIMENT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
A gay man once told me
he’d go straight for me. Does that count? But that’s got nothing to do with my
work. Musically, someone once told me I had the kind of commercial voice she
could listen to all day. As for the book, I love when people tell me they
‘laughed so hard!’ and think I have something really special here. Still
waiting for everyone else to catch on.
18.
DESCRIBE THE FUNNIEST
MOMENT YOU EXPERIENCED IN YOUR WORK?
The entire book is a
collection of funny moments! My best story? A guy with dentures really liked me
and asked for a kiss goodbye after our lunch meet-and-greet. I said, “OK. But
no tongue!” Well that NEVER works. He slipped me the tongue, and when he did,
his dentures dislodged. A piece of meat was deposited to the back of my mouth.
Yeah.
19.
WHAT WAS THE WORST
COMMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED?
I was told the book is
repetitive. It is in some spots, but intentionally!! I keep coming back to some
main points that need to be stressed. But after hearing this, I feel compelled
to make some changes in this regard for the second edition.
20.
WRITERS ARE SOMETIMES
INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU AS A CREATIVE
MUSICIAN?
Of course! The book is
a collection of what happened to me, told in my sarcastic, witty way! I now am
a comedian with a funny book under my belt. I’ve done something amazing for the
world of comedy that not every comedian does.
21.
HOW MANY SEPARATE
PIECES OF MUSIC/books HAVE YOU PRODUCED?
Book two in the works…
22.
HAVE YOU WON ANY
PRIZES OR AWARDS?
Nothing official. Yet.
I’m hoping the book draws attention from the RI Comedy Hall of Fame, which to
date has only crowned stage comedians. I did all that, and more!
23.
OTHER THAN MAKING MUSIC,
WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?
Having this ‘genre’
ADD, I’m all over the place! Also, as a kid I’d groomed myself to be an FBI
agent, so I took lessons in all kinds of crazy things so I could be placed in
any undercover assignment! I’m a certified bar tender, teacher and scuba diver.
Musician, fast typist, yoga instructor, calligraphy, mother, grandmother,
writer, tarot reader, linguist—you name it! And I love the great
outdoors—kayaking, hiking, camping, fishing…
24.
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT
DAY.
Wake up with a coffee,
sitting on a deck overlooking a lake and the sunrise. Go kayaking until it’s
too warm to do so. Take a swim, make love, shower and nap. Go for a hike and
have an amazing dinner. See a band, whether jazz or rock, mebbe sing a blues
tune with the band. Read a book while someone rubs my feet or engages me in a
deep conversation. Watch a little TV (cuddling optional) and fall asleep right
there.
25.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS
FOR THE FUTURE?
I still don’t know what
I wanna be when I grow up. I only know I don’t wanna grow up. I’ve had a huge bucket
list that I’ve mostly completed! Besides writing a few more books, I’d like to
travel more of the world. Should be done seeing all 50 US states in a few years;
looking to see cultures very different than my own. Also considering teaching
English in China and/or Thailand for a time.
26.
IF YOU CREATED MUSIC FOR
THE LEADERS OF THEWORLD, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
I don’t foresee world
leaders listening to what I have to say. I’ve long felt rap artists have the
attention of our teens. Instead of ‘kill whitey’ and ‘kill cops’, why don’t
rappers use their powers for GOOD? Let’s write and sing about peace, love, charity,
hope, family… Maybe I’ll write a young adult book that preaches manners from
the main character. Let’s have kids learn a useful thing or two while they read
fiction, since they aren’t into history until later in life. “No littering!” Make
a change for the better!
Clancy's comment: Thank you, Alison. You have an inspiring story to tell. Love ya work!
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