Well, I was always into music. I had an 8-track player with Steppenwolf’s greatest hits, Santana’s greatest hits, Three Dog Night’s greatest hits, Elvis Pressley, Tom Jones, and Breads greatest hits. Boy those were the days, got that sucker for my 10th birthday. Of course, I eventually got into Chicago and Credence Clearwater Revival.
On my 13th birthday, I got an electric guitar and felt like my future was set. I was sure I was destined to become either a rock star or God—either one would have suited me just fine. But before the year was up my father smashed it into my adlib amplifier. I was wailing in the back yard and he came home early, and that my friends was that.
I stayed active in listening to music and played the drums in the band for a year before my parents got tired of hearing me bang in my bedroom. I was pulled from band, and my drums were placed in the attic (I was told they were sold.). I did still stay active in writing songs even if I did have to hum the music.
I was also heavily in electronics and even at 13, I was installing car stereos for older friends. I was there when 8-tracks got pushed out by better sounding and easier to use cassette tapes. They were evolutionary in sound quality. Cassette tapes caused the end of 8-track tapes and was taking a huge bite out of album sales because like 8-tracks, it was music on the go.
Fast forward a few years and southern rock hit the scene with the likes of Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers, Marshal Tucker Band, The Outlaws and Molly Hatchet. Man, times where great and music was kick ass. The problem was being young and cranking up the tunes was only possible when the parents were gone.
Car stereo was in its infancy, and sound boosters were making way for real car amplifiers. There were 50 watt per channel amps coming out that had real home stereo sounds and specifications. The brands included Alpine, Concord and Sanyo. The problem was 6 x 9 speakers just did not have the punch for home stereo sound.
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
So to pay for this stuff which was expensive at the time I started doing car stereo’s full time and worked nights to do so. The next problem was that you could not easily place 4 – 12” woofers in the back of a 1969 Cougar. So, I traded it in for a 1975 Buick Estate station wagon and built a custom box for my home speakers to be placed in the wagon. Built entirely out of ¾” particle board.
Amps, amps, amps.
Trying to decide which amp to use was not very hard. I was at a stereo store in the Fashion Square Mall looking at the specs between amplifiers and a guy was curious because I wanted multiple amps. Luckily it was the Sanyo sales representative, and I explained what I had done to my wagon. He came outside to look and was very impressed He took me back inside and gave me his card and told the store owner to give me whatever Sanyo stereo equipment I wanted at wholesale price, and he would take care of it. So, I left there with a brand-new top of the line head unit and their best 50 watts per channel amp. The sound was good but lacked punch.
Investment time.
Over the next couple of months, I purchased 3 more of the same amps and top of the line Sanyo door and dash speakers. I had already been studying electronics at Mid Fla Tech and had heard about bridging an amplifier to double the power. I contacted my Sanyo rep, and he said the techs told him it was easy and that he would honor the amps warranty if I bridged one, so I did the went and bought one more amp and bridged it too. This gave me 200 watts across 4 – 12” woofers, 100 watts across 4 – 3” x 9” midrange horns, 100 watts across 4 – 3” horn tweeters and finally 100 watts across my front speakers.
Concert Time.
Here is where my love of music grew 10-fold. No matter what I listened to it was like they were live in my back seat. I had to keep my back window down to prevent blowing my ear drums out, but the bass was like having someone smack your chest to the song’s rhythm. Songs like Queens “Another one bites the dust” would blast a “Big Gulp” off of my roof. Edger Winter Groups “Frankenstein” would make my plastic Playboy air freshener do flips over my rearview mirror. Toto’s “Africa” was clean and crystal clear like they were there. Toto’s “Hold the line” was like Christmas for your whole-body experience.
Boom, boom, boom where did time go.
Then a young woman came back into my life, and I had to make a choice. I now have a fiancée’ and a 1-year-old daughter. The choice was simple but harsh. I sold off the stereo equipment and the station wagon to get an apartment. My love of music never died but took a back seat for many years. I loved to listen but had no time to write or learn to play again. I guess I grew up and became an adult.
Several years later.
My wife passed and my kids were all grown adults I got into writing lyrics and poetry. Being single made it easy to do my project all over again with a stereo in my Jeep. It was nice and made me feel like a kid again, jamming to all of my favorite tunes. Then I met the woman of my dreams, and it no longer seemed important or relevant. I now had a 15 year old daughter and it became my responsibility to help her chase her dreams.
Fast forward 5 years.
Now with an empty nest and some free time I decided to get back into music and song writing with my wife’s blessing. What to do though. I now have a 60-year-old ex-smokers voice and have forgotten how to read or write music. I found FL Studio which allows me to create music from scratch just by random sounds. My love of music was renewed, but what would I do for vocals. I found Suno Studio which helps me turn all of my songs and lyrics into reality. I have gotten feedback that I am just a renewed “Milli Vanilli” but I don’t see it that way. These are my lyrics and I have to produce the music for the sounds I am looking for or hear in my head. Trust me to get what you want requires quite a lot of work.
The basis.
That is what this site is all about. For others learning how I go through the creation process to make songs and music. So I hope you will come along and join me on this journey and we will both learn together to create beautiful and original music for friends and family at least. The main goal is to quench your inner musical beast.
Stephen Holt