New Jersey Stage August 2014 | Page 63

Obviously fate has served you well. How did you transition from “making pop music is my dream” to “I’m looking on to a different direction from here on out”? Do you still speak to members of the band or has everyone moved on to their new lives? I came to college planning to marry my talents as a musician and writer by becoming a music critic. So I always felt my work in the Voyage Band was a great way to support myself in school, learn how the business works for my later career and have amazing experiences. Eventually, I knew that, unless the band had a significant amount of national success, I would leave the group to finish my studies and start my journalism career. If pop music had been my dream from the start, I would have chosen to be a musician for my career, as all my other friends from the band did. Most of us keep in touch; my friends from Voyage who are still musicians have worked with Burt Bacharach, LeAnn Rimes, Babyface, LL Cool J, Little Richard, Kenny Rogers and many other great artists. And we were part of a generation of musicians who came through IU in the 1980s that includes names like Chris Botti, Kenny Aronoff, Bob Hurst, Shawn Pelton, Crystal Taliefero, Everett Bradley and many more. So I feel like I’m part of a great musical legacy, even though my own time as a professional musician was relatively short. I also still play drums, and have added bass guitar and singing to my skills, performing around the Tampa Bay, Florida area with a variety of musicians in my spare time. TOM RICHARDS, BASSIST/SINGER/SONGWRITER Bassist/singer/songwriter with over 30 years in the music business on multiple fronts. Artist, engineer, sales, product management, product development, production, journalism and media. Pop/Alt Country/Country... available for hire click here for contact info