There are few things in your life you can say are truly life changing.

By this, I’m talkin, grab you by the hair and twist your guts on a lemon juicer kind of change. I remember one September many, many, yearbook covers ago, I was sitting in history class when the cute, more trend-aware girl behind me asked if she could decorate my textbook. We used to cover them in old paper bags back then to protect their amazingly bland covers. Cute girl…initiating conversation…wanting to write on my book…score! So, I sacrificed some precious study time to let her do what she wanted—with my book cover of course. When it came back, it was covered in very seductive flowers and curly doodles that only a females penmanship could weave. I also found new band names written on it. Bands my young, naive ears had never spent time with. My book now had names like like Echo and the Bunnymen, Depeche Mode and the Smiths branded over it. I was intrigued. The tantalizing combination of feminine cursive writing and the unknown bands(to me) was overwhelming. I remember being mesmerized by the soft way the letters seductively meshed together to form the words, New Order.

While walking home that day, I stopped by the local MusicPlus and there it was, freshly stocked in the record bins, New Order’s Bizarre Love Triangle. I took out all my unused lunch money and bought it without a clue of what my ears were in store for. I went home, listened and proceeded to have my adolescent mind blown. My world of guitar riffs, Van Halen and Michael Jackson was conquered by electronic drums, synthesizers, and robotic harmonies. The opening line of “Every time I think of you I feel shot right through…” seemed to state exactly what I was feeling. I was transformed.

From that moment, I gave up hair metal for 80’s english bands like the Cure, Love and Rockets and any others that where written on my textbook. It led me to a love affair with music which led me to the guitar and two of my best friends. Our love of music led us to form a band. My band, love and knowledge of music led to an after school job at Sam Goody. My job at Sam Goody is where I met a girl who would eventually become my wife. It all led to things like friends, life experiences, internships at record companies and later, a dream job art directing album covers. The list goes on and on and it all links back to that fateful day in history class when my life’s path was derailed and re-angled in another direction. It was all thanks to the cute girl with a great set of pens and New Order.