The Power of the Written Word

There was a time when I went to a lot of concerts and I was never happy the next day when I read the comments in the newspaper of the music critics. Sometimes I even wondered if he had been at the same concert that I had. I had a sneaky suspicion that he hadn’t and just wrote the nasty thing he could think of. (Later when I actually had the opportunity to sit in the same section as the critics for the papers during a Bryan Adams’ concert I realize that both of them did attend the concerts. But more on that another time.)

 

After Poison’s ‘Flesh & Blood’ concert I wrote a review and happened to give a copy to an ex boyfriend of mine. He showed it to the editor of a paper aimed at high school students who not only published the review but also paid me for it and asked me to write a monthly column on music – Rock Notes – review concerts and product and conduct interviews. It wasn’t great money but I was being paid to do something I loved. It was great.

 

I sent a copy of the review to the band’s management company and was excited when a little later there was a message on my answering machine from Poison’s front man Bret Michaels. He had left the number of a hotel in Florida for me to call back and although I did, he and I were never able to connect. I was disappointed and felt like I had missed my chance. A few weeks later he called back. He wanted to thank me for what I had written and he put me in touch with the public relations at the management company. Through that I was to get information on the company’s artists, product and interviews. All because I had written a little piece praising the concert. I think that is when I really began to understand what writing can do for me and Bret gave me ‘Something to Believe In’.