People have told me that I was a major inspiration to them back when I was a senior in High School. I had no idea that my born-too-late hippy mentality, musings and trappings (bell bottoms and long hair were NOT in style in 1979) were of any inspiration or value to anyone. To be honest, I had been a complete social recluse until my senior year. I was unquestionably an outcast, and it hurt. My family and a few “losers” were my friends. I learned from the loneliness and rejection.
In 1977-78 I had been playing bass for hours every day, I got contact lenses, and I grew my hair long. Suddenly, I was Tom Brennan – The Bass Player. The metamorphosis was no less dramatic than a chrysalis becoming a butterfly. And fly I did. It was the non-popular people who just accepted me that made all the difference. Music was my solace, hobby, obsession and love. I started playing to gain acceptance (with girls – it really did work) but it turned into something much more serious. I simply fell in love with playing the bass. It became an extension of who I was. I poured out the pain, longing, loss, fear, anxiety and sheer unabashed joy through the thunder and chirp of those four beautiful, beautiful, thick silver strings. I was set free from one world, and entered into a new one.
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