I have been prodded this month to step outside my comfort zone -- reviewing the musical accomplishments of others -- and instead focus on my least likely of subjects -- me, myself, I. To quote a passage from the great H. L. Mencken dated December 1923: "Ask a professional critic to write about himself and you simply ask him to do what he does every day in the practice of his art and mystery. There is, indeed, no criticism that is not a confidence, and there is no confidence that is not self-revelation......No matter how artfully the critic may try to be impersonal and scientific he is bound to give himself away." While many 'critics' would be likely to experience unease at Mencken's comments, I find them reassuring and somewhat comforting. During the last several years of covering the local music scene, I have done my best to accentuate the positive, and whatever negatives may exist, to minimize them. When I first began writing this column, several years ago, I excitedly asked a trusted friend to read and evaluate a piece I was getting ready to submit. He had been writing for a column in San Francisco for some time, and was a novelist and screenplay writer with a Master's in English Language. He was somewhat critical of my failure to have 'critical opinions', saying that 'You'll never get noticed as a writer if you don't get a bit down and dirty with your subjects -- you won't command respect from your peers." I understand what he was saying, but, alas, I must respectfully disagree. After all is said and done, we all live on this small blue planet, and our ultimate survival is, in fact, dependant on our desire to support one another, nurture the dreams we all share -- and, in doing so, create the mysterious harmony that is life.

I began my musical journey in the belly of a woman who was three generations deep in the family tradition of teaching piano. My dad was an awesome Irish Tenor, and my mom was his accompanist. I often think about the fact that while mom was teaching her students at the keyboard -- scales, arpeggios, touch and tone -- my developing ears were the closest thing to that sound emenating from the soundboard of the Baldwin Baby Grand! (Lots of wrong notes too, I'm sure.) But it seems that somehow I was positioned to accept an unavoidable destiny. Making long strories short -- I began playing the piano at age 5, but by the age of 10 was not only disinterested, but I defiantly rejected the insistance that I pursue 'her' dreams of a classical music career! Mom was a taskmaster -- a relentless controller of her property -- ME! I sensed the cosmic violation in that, and needed to escape to find my own path.

At age 12 my mother asked me, in what I now view as a somewhat sinister and self-serving moment, would I prefer to play the flute or the clarinet? I spent little time (after the initial shock of the question) to respond "Flute". When I arrived home from school that afternoon -- there it was -- a spanking new CLARINET! UGH! Had she asked the question for the purpose of actually hearing an honest response, or had she already made up her mind? I have always hated being duped or controlled, and that is everpresent even now! Parents Beware!!! Initially I realized that she'd spent good money on the clarinet, so I 'd go along with her plan, however grudgingly. (I still play clarinet, 40 years later, but I'm still not totally in love).

But when I was 13, I got my revenge! The Beatles had just broken the sound barrier -- my sister and all her friends were all changing their hair styles and were going giddy for the Fab Four from Liverpool! For a mere $4.50 per ticket in the summer of '65 (in Paris, France where my dad was working in the American Embassy) we saw the Beatles -- LIVE!! Awesome!! Spectacular!! How Great Can It Get??!!! And suddenly I knew, without shadow of doubt, how I wanted to go musically. Come hell or high water I was going to get me a drum set!! The one instrument that my mother knew nothing about -- the one instrument that she couldn't give me any advice or how to play -- HalleFukinLujaa!! Freedom at Last!! I spent the next 8 months shoveling coal to earn the money to buy myself a drum set, and I've never ever looked back!

From that point forward I learned to play every Beatle song we had on LPs, along with the Mamas & Papas, the Stones, the Kinks, etc. I got into singing harmony with Peter, Paul and Mary and other folk acts of the day. By the time I was in High School I was in Concert Chorus, Band (as a clarinetist), and Stage Band (on drums). I also had my own country-rock group "Spencer", which was playing all around the DC area -- with four part vocals we covered lots of Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Byrds, Beatles, Poco, Beach Boys -- so much good music was happening back then. In the fall of '71 at a jam session at Denton Hall (University of MD) I met guitarist extrordinaire Mike Dugan. This chance meeting would shape the next 10 years, as the two of us stuck together through many different bands from Florida to New Jersey. Initially we formed an Allman Bros. type act "The Crawford Brothers", which later morphed into the top 40 band "Prodigy" that landed a great week-long gig as the house band at the biggest bar in New Jersey -- the "Satellite Lounge" in Wrightstown, NJ. At the Satellite we would often trade sets with such nationally known acts like Hall & Oates and Bruce Springsteen at a time when they were just starting out. It was a great experience, but Mike and I wanted to step it up to the next level by forming an Original Music act.

In the fall of '73 we formed the all original group "Mad Fables" that would consume all of our time and talents for the next 10 years. I've often referred to this project as 'living in a song writing factory'. We all lived together, and our daily schedule consisted of personal practice 'till noon, song writing and band practice 'till around six, then tear down and head off for a gig. It was gruelling, it was exhausting, it was intense, but above all it was exhilirating and fabulous. The line up in Mad Fables was Mike Dugan (lead and rythm guitars, mandolin and vocals), Mike Radtke (piano, hammond organ, banjo and lead vocals), Spencer Hill (drums, clarinet, percussion and vocals), Rich Rheiner (lead & rythm guitars, dobro and lap steel guitar), and Jeff Hays (electric bass and upright acoustic bass). Stylistically we covered the entire spectrum from hard rock to reggae -- from hot swing to classical -- from country to experimental. No box was big enough to contain our sound, but whatever we did we still had a recognizable style. By the time the group eventually split, we had amassed a total of 135 original songs, a few of which had up to seven movements and could take as much as a half hour to play in their entirety. By 1980 the group had received much recognition in the "Aquarian" (New York's main music magazine), and we had risen from around 25th to number 3 in the Aquarian poll for Best Original Groups in the New York area.

Since that time I have tried to keep myself busy, playing in any number of 'cover' groups -- some all blues, others all country or (currently) all rock 'n' roll oldies (come by and see the Unforgiven every Thursday at the Saloun on M St. in Georgetown where we've had a weekly gig for the past 5 years). But I really miss the creative intensity of writing and performing originals. I now have my own home studio, where I help others to develop their own originals. I've expanded my efforts into arranging and producing -- often playing all the instruments myself. The more creativity I engage in, the more satisfied I am. What can I say? I've been bitten by the music bug, and apparently there's no cure -- not that I'm looking for one!

I'm facinated by this whole question of the Mayan Calendar ending in 2012, and the corresponding cosmic alignments in the heavens. Most seem to point to the incredible transformation of human awareness from the mundane to the transcendent mind. Many seem to think that the beginning stages are upon us -- with early 2009 marking the initial start to the countdown. Some seem to believe that there will be a spike in human creativity as the process unfolds. As for me, I'm counting on it!! Happy New Year to all -- and may we all become better versions of our selves as the year progresses!

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