Ok, so here I am a JPF member for quite some time now, I've been asked to write this in. As some other JPF members may know, I got an artist endorsement with Taylor Guitars earlier this year and this is how I believe it happened.

In November Brian was here in the Southern California area doing the showcases and the music awards. I tend to enjoy going to the various events so I sign up for as many as my schedule allows. I was present at the Tujunga song circle and Twiggs (the two main one, will reveal why in a moment), and several others. At the Tujunga Song Circle I was re-aquainted with another JPF member - Cindy Alexander, whom I had met at a few other JPF events previouslly. At a later event myself and Seth Horan (another JPF member) car-pooled to San Diego to Twiggs. At the Twiggs event we met Steve White, a phenomenal blues player.

Seth and I befriended Steve cause we were in awe of the man. We traded music and info etc... With Cindy it was more of a mutual respect for each others music. Around this time I was getting harassed from many musician friends for the guitar I was playing. They were saying hey get a better guitar. I was frustrated in that respect, knowing I needed a guitar to match my abilities. Then Steve mentioned he was a Taylor endorsee which led to a whole, hey who do I talk to thing.

So one day Seth and I arranged to go to Taylor before a show we were playing in the S.D. area and took the tour to drop of packages, blah, blah, blah. The tour was a great experience, I highly recommend it. However our packages got lost somewhere and never made it to the A&R guy. Well in Jan. at NAMM, I saw that Steve was playing a showcase for Taylor, so I (with Seth) went to see Steve play. He got done and introduced me to the A&R guy which was a great shot in the arm. So there I am talking to the Taylor rep when Ali Handel walks up, another JPF member and Taylor endorsee. Her drummer was also someone I had met while getting a hair cut. So here we all are chatting and the A&R guy asks what I've got coming show wise and I happen to be playing with Seth Horan and Kerry Getz (thank you Kerry, another wonderful JPF member) at the Hotel where he is staying. Right around this time, Cindy shows up (turns out she's an endorsee as well) and now it seems as though I should be part of the family so to speak.

So the A&R guy for Taylor pops by fortunately at a time during the set that Kerry and Seth said I should go up. He listened to a song and headed for the bar. After I was finished I went to speak with him about what he heard. He responded in saying that he really dug it and said that I should come down to the factory to chat about an endorsement.

That is roughly how it all came about and I can't thank the people I've met through JPF enough, for without those friends it wouldn't have happened.

You never know where your success will come from.

Jody


[This message has been edited by Whitesides (edited 08-27-2002).]

Jody Whitesides
A Funky Audio Lap Dance For Your Ears!
www.jodywhitesides.com