Walking In Another Man's Shoes; Part Three
"Ooh, that's a really hard question..." became a common response when talking to music enthusiast Baylee Avery.
I met Baylee through the world phenomenon, social media platform, Instagram. It was sometime last winter or spring that I was engaging with Tom Petty and The Heartbreaker's keyboardist, Benmont Tench via Instagram and Twitter. By engaging I mean leaving puns on every post of his. It was through seeing these witty comments and texts on Tench's page that Baylee had come across my account. She reached out to me simply saying, "I can't wait to read this!", after seeing my (then) Instagram story announcing an upcoming essay I was going to share on the Rock Hall of Fame, in which Benmont was kind enough to help me with. It wasn't long before this short, small talk with Baylee turned into conversations of sharing our lives and getting to know each other more personally everyday. Baylee has grown to be one of my closest friends, and someone who's music collection I could probably survive on if I was stranded with only that on a deserted island.
When we look at a person we can start to identify what their character is based on their outer features and/or actions. For example, if one was to look at me it might be apparent that I love music due to my Rolling Stones earrings, guitar jewelry and band-tees. Looking closer you can tell that I have a dog that I'm close with, due to the free fur coat I get to wear everyday. What you don't see is that I am a practicing, self-taught photographer, that I love being outside in nature, and that my favorite TV show is Cheers Looking at me you wouldn't be able to tell that I'm afraid of ladybugs or that I even have a blog. What I'm getting at is that we express ourselves in many different ways that can be both seen and unseen by the naked eye, but understood if we take the time to get to know each other or let other's into our world.
I started this project with the idea of understanding one thing about my peers that maybe people know or maybe other's don't. Taking to social media, I had asked for either a song, a hobby, movie, destination, etc. for me to try or travel to (if possible) and understand this particular person more. So here I am, ready to try and understand what makes you, you. Round three; Baylee Avery.
There are two things that radiate from Baylee; her personality and her passion for music. I swear this girl could spend a day, a week, just gabbing about her favorite bands, artist, or a song that she heard and how it makes her feel. The reason why we hit it off so well was the part of our souls that shared the same past; doing the twist in the fifties, screaming in front of the TV as The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, wearing head-wraps and fringed poncho at Woodstock, crushing on David Cassidy, well you get the point. We're a product of a generation we weren't born in and our love for music mesh well together.
The Bee Gee's gave Baylee this music fever, a fever that lasted longer than just Saturday Night.
For this "Walking In Another Man's Shoe's" Baylee wanted me to highlight her music fire. I had asked Baylee to create a set-list of ten songs (below) for me to listen and asked a series of questions to understand her choices and to get into her mind set.
So, that's what I did. I usually listen to music when I'm driving, very dangerous for me but I manage. I'm a hard-core lip syncer, so I don't listen to music at the gym, like most, because I most likely will end up mouthing the words Bob Seger. At home my dog is my audience for my wide vocal range of pitchy-pitches. Surprisingly, I rarely just sit there or lay and listen to music anymore. It was nice to do that again, so Baylee I thank you. It's a meditative feeling. Where instead of clearing your mind completely and focusing on a single phrase or word, you focus on the song. There's a higher level when you're listening to a monumental song -whether it's monumental to the world or just you - and there's nothing else on your mind and you can just study it and tear it apart, or simply just enjoy it.
Using Baylee's playlist, I found myself drifting further from reality and into the music with "A Face In The Crowd" by Tom Petty. It was songs like, "Edge Of Seventeen" and "Louisiana Rain" that I couldn't contain my awful singing, and The Beatles "Here Comes The Sun" with the "doo-do-do-doo" -even when I was silenced my foot was swaying back and fourth.
Was there a particular reason why you picked these songs and artist?
Just like Baylee, Tom Petty and The Heartbreaker's were there when I needed them most, and I was very pleased to see two songs on her list from two album that started my love for The Heartbreakers; "Louisiana Rain" (which at one time was my favorite song, so bonus points to Baylee) from Damn The Torpedoes and "Insider" on Hard Promises. Also, unmentioned so far in this post, Baylee is a writer/blogger, you can check her out at thatonemusicloversblog.blogspot.com .
In a few words, how would you personally describe your taste of music?
If there was one album you would recommend for every collector to have in their collection, which album would it be?
I knew a lot of these songs going into this, but the songs I didn't know I was surprised that I hadn't heard of them and truly enjoyed having the experience of getting to explore new songs in similar styles that I gravitate towards. Lana Del Rey, I've heard of, I think she has a lot of talent but I have never sat down and listened to a full song, so that was a moment of gratitude and appreciation towards another artist and crew.
It doesn't matter who you are, where you are, what language you speak, or god you pray to, music is a universal ethnic group or religion, it's a home, that we all belong to. We all have different taste when it comes to music but that's just our origins, so in this world just reach out and get to know each others roots, learn about each other's heart and mind through music.
I don't understand Shakespeare but even genius minded Shakespeare would understand "Obla-De-Obla-Da".
Many thanks to Baylee, to Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, to Stevie Nicks, The Runaways, Lana Del Rey and The Bee Gees. A Special shout out to Benmont Tench for playing his part in forming this friendship.
You can Follow Baylee on Instagram: @Baylee.The.Book.Nerd.
and Twitter: @Pearsonsmariano
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| Baylee at the Rock Hall |
I met Baylee through the world phenomenon, social media platform, Instagram. It was sometime last winter or spring that I was engaging with Tom Petty and The Heartbreaker's keyboardist, Benmont Tench via Instagram and Twitter. By engaging I mean leaving puns on every post of his. It was through seeing these witty comments and texts on Tench's page that Baylee had come across my account. She reached out to me simply saying, "I can't wait to read this!", after seeing my (then) Instagram story announcing an upcoming essay I was going to share on the Rock Hall of Fame, in which Benmont was kind enough to help me with. It wasn't long before this short, small talk with Baylee turned into conversations of sharing our lives and getting to know each other more personally everyday. Baylee has grown to be one of my closest friends, and someone who's music collection I could probably survive on if I was stranded with only that on a deserted island.
When we look at a person we can start to identify what their character is based on their outer features and/or actions. For example, if one was to look at me it might be apparent that I love music due to my Rolling Stones earrings, guitar jewelry and band-tees. Looking closer you can tell that I have a dog that I'm close with, due to the free fur coat I get to wear everyday. What you don't see is that I am a practicing, self-taught photographer, that I love being outside in nature, and that my favorite TV show is Cheers Looking at me you wouldn't be able to tell that I'm afraid of ladybugs or that I even have a blog. What I'm getting at is that we express ourselves in many different ways that can be both seen and unseen by the naked eye, but understood if we take the time to get to know each other or let other's into our world.
I started this project with the idea of understanding one thing about my peers that maybe people know or maybe other's don't. Taking to social media, I had asked for either a song, a hobby, movie, destination, etc. for me to try or travel to (if possible) and understand this particular person more. So here I am, ready to try and understand what makes you, you. Round three; Baylee Avery.
There are two things that radiate from Baylee; her personality and her passion for music. I swear this girl could spend a day, a week, just gabbing about her favorite bands, artist, or a song that she heard and how it makes her feel. The reason why we hit it off so well was the part of our souls that shared the same past; doing the twist in the fifties, screaming in front of the TV as The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, wearing head-wraps and fringed poncho at Woodstock, crushing on David Cassidy, well you get the point. We're a product of a generation we weren't born in and our love for music mesh well together.
The Bee Gee's gave Baylee this music fever, a fever that lasted longer than just Saturday Night.
"...what started that (music love) was me being obsessed with The Bee Gees when I was a year or two old. My mom and older cousin, Megan always tells me how I would play their CD's on our boombox and didn't listen to anything else. I actually think that's hilarious because I don't even remember a lyric by The Bee Gees as a twenty-one year old."
For this "Walking In Another Man's Shoe's" Baylee wanted me to highlight her music fire. I had asked Baylee to create a set-list of ten songs (below) for me to listen and asked a series of questions to understand her choices and to get into her mind set.
- Insider by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers (Featuring Stevie Nicks)
- Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You? by Stevie Nicks
- Shades of Cool by Lana Del Rey
- Born To Be Bad by The Runaways
- A Face In The Crowd by Tom Petty
- Songbird by Fleetwood Mac
- Louisiana Rain by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
- Here Comes The Sun By The Beatles
- Wildflowers by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
- Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks
(Side note; I knew this was going to be heavy on The Heartbreaker side)
Is there a certain time, place or ritual that you have when listening to music?
While listening to music Baylee tend to just sit or laydown. In her words,
"I feel that when doing that, it's the time where I truly feel all peaceful and I go to my happy place and I can just take the melody in".
Using Baylee's playlist, I found myself drifting further from reality and into the music with "A Face In The Crowd" by Tom Petty. It was songs like, "Edge Of Seventeen" and "Louisiana Rain" that I couldn't contain my awful singing, and The Beatles "Here Comes The Sun" with the "doo-do-do-doo" -even when I was silenced my foot was swaying back and fourth.
Was there a particular reason why you picked these songs and artist?
"I feel that those songs are what has helped me through hard times and are songs I listen to more than anything else. Especially songs by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, who I grew up listening to, and Lana Del Rey, who's become a favorite singer of mine the last few years. And I'm not one to usually say that with modern artist like Lana. Tom, On the other hand - His music really helped through some of the hardest times of my life, like loss of family members and other personal stuff. He's also become a major writing inspiration to me."
Just like Baylee, Tom Petty and The Heartbreaker's were there when I needed them most, and I was very pleased to see two songs on her list from two album that started my love for The Heartbreakers; "Louisiana Rain" (which at one time was my favorite song, so bonus points to Baylee) from Damn The Torpedoes and "Insider" on Hard Promises. Also, unmentioned so far in this post, Baylee is a writer/blogger, you can check her out at thatonemusicloversblog.blogspot.com .
In a few words, how would you personally describe your taste of music?
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| Sporting a Tom Petty Tee at the Rock Hall |
Baylee's family has always bonded Baylee with the term "old soul" for her love of older music.
"I would describe my music taste as something else, honestly. "
"When I was 12, I saw the Runaways movie with my mom and stepdad and it was my first ever R rated movie. I remember just sitting there and feeling amazed by everything about that movie and I became invested in the music. That movie was my introduction to David Bowie."After watching the movie, Baylee remembers going out and buying the Best of The Runaways CD, studying and playing it for "weeks and weeks". Joan Jett and Cherie Currie's voice became idols and pivotal role-models in a young pre-teen Baylee's life.
Her infatuation for Tom Petty didn't start until she was three which turned her love for earlier generation music into a lifestyle. A lifestyle that separated her from other's at school,
"I always knew that my taste was always different from other girls I knew because in elementary school, my friends always listened to stuff like Beyonce or Shakira and I was never interested. In middle school, I went to a private school that was in three houses and other than me, there were three other girls and they were into Justin Beiber, Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, and I was the only one who wasn't interested in them."
If there was one album you would recommend for every collector to have in their collection, which album would it be?
"Ooh, that's a really hard question but if I had to pick just one, it would definitely have to be Tom Petty's Wildflowers album. That album is the one album that has meant so much to me for years and is possibly my favorite album ever so I think that would be one album I would recommend to collectors."
I knew a lot of these songs going into this, but the songs I didn't know I was surprised that I hadn't heard of them and truly enjoyed having the experience of getting to explore new songs in similar styles that I gravitate towards. Lana Del Rey, I've heard of, I think she has a lot of talent but I have never sat down and listened to a full song, so that was a moment of gratitude and appreciation towards another artist and crew.
It doesn't matter who you are, where you are, what language you speak, or god you pray to, music is a universal ethnic group or religion, it's a home, that we all belong to. We all have different taste when it comes to music but that's just our origins, so in this world just reach out and get to know each others roots, learn about each other's heart and mind through music.
I don't understand Shakespeare but even genius minded Shakespeare would understand "Obla-De-Obla-Da".
Many thanks to Baylee, to Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, to Stevie Nicks, The Runaways, Lana Del Rey and The Bee Gees. A Special shout out to Benmont Tench for playing his part in forming this friendship.
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| concert Baylee |
and Twitter: @Pearsonsmariano
