Passing college is a difficult task on its own, but imagine what it's like when your final grade rests in the hands of the worlds' favorite rock-star.
As graduation from her local community college approaches, Reese Taylors yearns for some answers...
{ back lot } - a piece of land on studio property that filmmakers can shoot outside scenes in an enclosed area. this differs from on location shoots
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"So, what got you into music? Was there a pivotal moment in your life that you just knew music - in some shape or form - was what you wanted to pursue in life?"
We're sat in Lennon's dressing room, waiting patiently between takes for him to be called in for filming. With an interview from Aaliyah under my belt and the green light of what I'm allowed to film on set from Neill, I'm feeling rather accomplished. Editing all this footage will be a bitch later on, but at least I have something to work with.
"I have all I need in here," he had told as he pushed open his respective door, giving me a brief tour of his dressing room, "I could live in here if I really needed to."
At this, I noticed, Lennon's a fairly simple man. There's not much to his dressing room. A gray, plush couch occupies most of the small space with a mini fridge right beside it, filled with enough drinks and snacks to last him weeks. There's a door that leads to a private bath, equipped with a shower and everything. And, it wouldn't be complete, without a bookshelf full of notebooks and his acoustic guitar.
Which, after a fierce argument, is sitting across from him on the couch and out of his reach.
"I've already told you this before," my glare only conjures a teasing grin in response, "my family was music oriented. There were always new instruments coming in because my, uh, my dad's dream was...is to master every instrument that there is. Or at least, settle with knowing at least one song decently on each instrument. It was just something that was...common in my family. If you didn't want to play an instrument, my parents would jokingly tell us that we had to have been switched in the hospital, because there was so way someone in our family didn't have the drive and the...the passion for music that they share. It's, uh, actually how they met. They met at a music store where my mom worked and even though my dad knew how to play the drums, he pretended he didn't just so my mom would teach him.
"My siblings and I all got to choose an instrument; we all learned piano when we were younger because piano is, like, a baseline instrument. If you can decently play that, picking up on other instruments is...well, it's not easy, but it's easier for the most part. And I'm not going to lie, but I hated music lessons growing up. No matter how much I practiced, I wasn't getting any better and I wanted to quit. I wasn't any good and clearly wasn't getting any better, so what was the point in staying with lessons? Clearly, I'm a beast at the piano now, but back then I was about ready to give up music and convince my parents to let me try a sport. Like hockey or something. But one day, my dad came into my room with an acoustic in one hand and a Guitar for Beginners book in the other. He told me to go nuts. And I mean, look where I'm at today."
"It sounds like your parents are super supportive of your music career."
My statement is innocent, something anyone would've asked after the spiel he made. Lennon's wordy in his explanations; always explaining things thoroughly and splitting off on side roads that will ultimately meet up to his main purpose. I'm extremely thankful that even after our rocky start, he's taking these interviews seriously, as if I was a professional. The mug I bought the other day sits heavily in my duffle bag, waiting for the right moment to thank him not just for his participation in my project, but also for what he did last night.
