Not too long ago, my boyfriend and I checked out Rhett Miller, the lead singer and a songwriter for one of our favorite bands (Old 97's). We've seen the Old 97's perform all over, from an annual music festival in our city to Golden Gate Park on a crisp fall afternoon. We were nervous, though. By himself on the stage, would Rhett carry that same energy as he does with the band, minus the drums, the bass guitar, the back-up vocals?
The good news is that Rhett rocked the house. But it got me thinking. As writers, who are we without our "band?" When you strip away the layers of your published articles -- headlines, deks, photos, fancy fonts, etc. -- is the writing still solid? Or are you bolstered by all of that to the point where your voice fades out? I'd like to think that my words can sing without all the back-ups. Yet it's given me pause, and inspired me to just put it all out there when I write the lede on a story. After all, do I want a glossy photo to steal the show or do I wish to be like Rhett and rock the house?
Photo credit: Wikipedia.org
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