Business and Society Articles

Being the son of two musicians, music plays an important role in my life. I became a musician as well, although not to the level they were. Parents would play on the weekends at evening hotspots in Bend, OR in the early and mid-80s. They would play cover songs from the 70s and 80s, maybe an original here and there. They went on to have respectable careers in music until this day. Here is my mom’s music website: Maxie Kinney Music The Music Journey of a Country Gal from Oregon I started playing the guitar around 21 years old. I played the keyboard and piano when I was younger. Here is my music website in progress: Robbie Newport Music Original Christian Folk Music Storytime I remember a time when I was around 11 years old in a music shop (in the late 80s and early 90s there were mostly cassette tapes for sale) and I had the choice between Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO) or New Kids on the Block — I chose BTO and have always been proud of that decision. I have good taste for genuine music...

There was a time in my early 20s when I spent about a year playing my guitar and reading poetry at open mics in the Eugene Oregon area. I say area because I ventured out to a neighboring town called Cottage Grove a couple of times too. This was a special time in my life dedicated to music and writing. I wasn’t particularly exceptional at either, especially poetry, but the experience was unique and interesting. There was a studio apartment I lived in close to the University of Oregon campus called apartment 101. Besides being actually the number of the apartment, it also correlates with learning the introduction of life as a young musician. This apartment ended up being a hub for a rag-tag bunch of creative misfits who stayed up late into the night smoking, drinking, and playing music. While the experience may seem grand and the likes of Jack Kerouac may romanticize similar instances with amazing prose, the actual time was full of questions and consternation— there was a chaotic sense o...