With the Halloween season upon us, and a hiatus from my performance and personal songwriting on the horizon (more on that in another blog), I couldn't help but take more than my usual passing glance at the TV to catch some of the great B-rated horror movies and franchises on the various cable channels. I was definitely one of those kids who had a passive-aggressive love of the genre, finding myself enraptured with movies like "Friday, the 13th," and then being unable to leave the TV room for fear of some unknown undead assailant lurking near the bathroom. Needless to say, it only got worse (or better, LOL) as the years wore on; my nightmares did too, but I was able to control them. I think.
I've always had a penchant for all things macabre. The fact that one of my favorite authors is Stephen King should give you a basic idea of where my head is at when it comes to preferred literature on my downtime. With movies, it's the same. Maybe it's my love of music & the imagination that draws me to the scary and fantastical, who can say? Whatever the reason, that fetish reared its head over the past few weeks via movies & Pop culture pseudo-psycho killers. But the reason this blog came about is because of two specific behind-the-scenes documentaries, and their impact on my music.
Me being the nerd that I am, alongside watching the movies being shown, I did a little YouTube research about the origins of two of the biggest horror franchises in American film history; specifically, the stories behind the making of "Friday, the 13th" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street." I love hearing about the nitty-gritty that goes into turning an artistic idea into a tangible product. But I was taken aback at several points of the documentaries. Not only taken aback, but inspired.
Without going into too much detail, what struck me about these first films was the guerilla-style work that went into getting them budgeted, financed, filmed, and distributed. Anyone who knows anything about these horror titans and their movies knows that they are currently owned and handled by New Line Cinema. What lesser-learned filmgoers might not know is that New Line, at its heart, was a low-level fledgling production company that happened upon Wes Craven's script for "Nightmare," and later acquired the "Friday" franchise. There are accounts of Bob Shaye, New Line Cinema's former CEO and the man behind the first "Nightmare," being so stressed about getting money for the movie and then getting it finished, that he bit his nails past their ends to the point of bloodiness.
Likewise, the kind of conditions that the actors and crew went through on the set of "Friday the 13th" were probably some of the poorest and roughest of any set. Betsy Palmer, the brave woman who played disillusioned maternal killer Mrs. Voorhees, took the role simply to help pay for a new car (a Volkswagen Shirako), hoping against hope that the film would fall into B-movie obscurity. Over time, she learned to accept the fan-dubbed title, "Queen of the Slashers." "Friday" was a hodge-podge of over-acting post-teens, fake blood, cheap spring-loaded camping bunks...and yeah, Kevin Bacon. The result? One of the US's hugest and most popular horror films off all time.
The reason why these accounts translated to my work in music boils down to these memories of their conception. I think it's easy for many of us struggling on the "C & D Lists" of the industry to get discouraged, put-off, and blindsided by the images of music celebrity success. On a more visceral level, those of us on the creative side of the fence can become dissuaded to continue our work when we see writers, producers, and personnel flaunting their ease at getting work and subsequent fame in the business. Let's face it, I can't lie about feeling slight twinges of envy when I see folks like Rodney Jerkins tweeting about his back-to-back sessions and chart-topping hits. But now, having watched these horror film documentaries, I've gleaned a little more hope for myself.
Seeing the accounts of these movies and their histories has reminded me that none of us, wherever we are with this passion in music, starts out with super-prodigy-like artistic genius (OK, OK, Mozart & Beethoven are exceptions, LOL). Nor do they start out with astronomical budgets, award-winning music, or a stocked curriculum vitae. We all start small, with an idea, a dream, and a drive. Many of us who write or produce begin with a home setup and work out of it for extended periods of time before we ever see the inside of a professional studio (and at the rate that the pro studios are closing, who knows when that will be for the next wave of creators?). As a college-trained classical vocalist, I didn't receive a full operatic role until the Fall semester of my fourth year, and in most conservatories, major roles are usually only given out to graduate students.
The end of this story, if anything, is to give you, faithful reader and/or musician, the same hope that was passed to me through this journey through the horror idiom. Whatever your dream, whatever your passion, do not feel bad that you're on a lower rung of the ladder of success than someone else. You have my guarantee that that person above was once where you were in some shape or form. If what you do has integrity and you are willing to put in the work, then enjoy these "C & D-List" moments; they will be some of the most treasured experiences in your journey towards your goals. And who knows, maybe you'll be the person featured on the soundtrack for "Freddy vs. Jason part IX!" Hey, one can dream, right?
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