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At the risk of presenting myself like a computer dating service hopeful, here are a few sound bytes that somebody, somewhere might find vaguely interesting. Childhood in a nutshell: I can sum it up in a few words: animals (I was a veritable Dr. Doolittle), climbing trees, leotards and pink tights, Greenpeace, and a jump rope mike. I used to sing, dance, and speak in a British accent to entertain myself. I was alternately Loretta Lynn, Julie Andrews and Pavlova depending on the moment. Some would probably have called white-coated people to come take me away, but thankfully I was sent to an arts school in North Carolina where everyone was REALLY stable and sane. First paid employment: De-tasseling corn. There's a lot of it in Iowa... First career: Ballet dancer in the American Ballet Theatre. I toured all over the United States, much of Western Europe, Japan, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. I remember dancing on a table at a restaurant in Athens, Greece, but thankfully the rest of the company had consumed a lot of Retsina and didn't really notice. First real boss: Mikhail Baryshnikov. Other jobs: The alternate lead in a (ill-fated and potential Trivial Pursuit question) Broadway show called the Red Shoes. The British accent fetish from childhood (after many hours of watching Monty Python) came in handy, as I had to speak with one in the show. Though it was brief, I got to work with composer Jule Styne, and it was one of the last things he did before he died. He played and sang "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" one day to me on the rehearsal piano, which was pretty cool... He also wrote a gorgeous song called "Alone in the Light" which I got to sing a few times before the powers-that-were cut it out of the show. Some favorite places in the world: Italy and Denmark (and always, NYC). I lived in Florence for about 10 months and capped that year off with a winter-like summer in Copenhagen. The Danes are amazing individuals and I think of them as the Italians of the North, but the weather sure ain't the most uplifting. I've co-written some music with a dear Danish friend that will hopefully one day be echoing through the airwaves of Euro-pop. Current other interests: I'm finishing grad school in social work, because you know, I seem to be attracted to all the high-paying power careers... Musical Influences: There is so much music that I really dig but I probably don't sound like those by whom I've felt most inspired. I've loved the Beatles since adolescence and this hasn't really waned with time (as evidenced by the giant-sized Sgt. Pepper album still hanging on my wall). I find Ani DiFranco amazing on so many levels, especially for the truth she exudes as a writer and performer. But I consider myself luckiest for the fact that I'm able to study guitar with the awesome and inspiring Terre Roche. Other issues of note: I'm not a big fan of Dubya, Dick Cheney, Rummy and the whole neo-con chain gang. Plus the government essentially nuked my CD on a first copywriting attempt, which gives a gal even more reason to want to give France a try. And though some people have described me as a tree huggin', hippy type, I don't take offense. I'll just add liberal, feminist and freak to that depiction, and smile... Check out the artist's website: http://www.amywilder.com Track List: 1. It's Not You 2. Every Street in Town 3. Jazz Boy Blues 4. Italy 5. D.A.R. 6. Lines 7. The Feel of Rain 8. This Side of Nothing 9. A Little Heat 10. Blue 11. Iowa July 4th 12. Scotch and Soda 13. A Little Heat (Live) Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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