Lori Richardson Biography

As much as I would love to amuse you with some presumptuous, "professionally" written biography, I'd rather tell you the raw truth... my side of the story ;-)

I have not been singing from the age of two, nor have I been studying music privately for years on top of years. It would have been wonderful, I am sure of it, but would I be this infinitely drawn to music? Probably not. I know myself too well. I can’t be forced into anything, I am too hard on myself and I am incredibly shy. It all had to happen naturally. Thank God it did!

I grew up around a creative family of painters, writers and lovers of music. I loved my childhood! It has honestly been one of the most precious things to me. Everything about it, even the downs, has played a part in my becoming. When nothing came easy, there was always music! I can still remember listening to my dad’s little yellow radio during summer storms in Arizona. Yup, I am an Arizona girl!!!
Dad always played the best of Neil Young, Grateful Dead and of course the Richardson household, Jimmy Buffet. I really fell in love with lyrics, folk melody and that warm feeling that an acoustic guitar sheds! I was still not a musician though. The funny thing is, I TOTALLY saw this all coming! It is difficult to explain, but you know  that uneasy feeling inside of you that keeps you up and thinking all night until you take action? That was my mentality at age 10.  I knew I had to do music. I was literally obsessed with learning how to play guitar. Obsessed!

At age 11, out of the blue, my uncle gave our family an acoustic guitar. ::angel ahhs:: It was heaven sent, I just know it! I began to teach myself how to play songs on the radio. That is the mystery, I do not know how I managed to figure music out on my own. If I had known then how complicated music was, I probably would have given up! I am a free spirit, just let me be ;-) I was just about to enter Junior high, and let me tell you, for any shy, smart girl with freckles, unkempt hair and glasses… middle school is hell. It sucked. Fortunately, life went on and I learned how to stand miles away from conformity while figuring out the guitar and fiddle. I treated music like my diary and slowly fell in love with songwriting. The frustrating thing was, no music program would accept me. I would pass the audition & prove that I could play with the big kids, but the moment they found out I could not read music or afford private training KAPUT. Lori got the boot. We just couldn't afford it. So frustrating! No one understood my master plan...

High school was the turning point. On top of figuring out how to use a flat iron, I became very involved in the FREE music program. I gained the reputation of “the girl who sits at home and practices all day”. They were right. High school was dangerous though. At age 16 I wanted nothing more than to be independent, free and… well, taller. It was not until very recently that I realized that I became a victim of growing up too fast. Now, I find that I want nothing more than a little guidance and a hand to hold through all of this mess. That is what music has been to me these past few years! One of my favorite composers, Ned Rorem, once said, 'Arguably, no artist grows up: If he sheds the perceptions of childhood, he ceases being an artist’. So be it! Youth is something that we should hold onto as an immeasurable reminder why life is so beautiful. With that being said, I hope to always flip out over the first sign of the Christmas season, even if its in September. Likewise, no matter how much I may have complained back then, I secretly miss the rambunctious sound of pots and pans being sorted through by my parents at 6am every. single. morning. I still don’t know why we had to reorganize our pots and pans daily… I suppose some things in life aren’t meant to be answered.

Which leads me to my college endeavors! I am now studying contemporary classical composition with renowned composers such as, Daniel Asia, Pamela Decker and Craig Walsh at the University of Arizona. (Go Cats!!!) The best part is: I never saw this coming! I literally was a folk singer/songwriter/fiddler who was thrown into a pool of classically trained musicians! ha! It was a difficult transition, but I was incredibly determined, and now I love it! It has such a different creative process than songwriting. It's like painting, but throwing sequins and feathers EVERYWHERE. Get that? Ya... I honestly believe I was meant to be a composer. It's perfect! I am unorganized, up in the clouds and incredibly sarcastic. It fits like a glove and oddly compliments my other sensitive, shy, and passionate songwriting side.

Anyways, I digress. I realize that I have given you the 101 on me back then. It is all vital. As for right now, right as I am typing this autobiography, I just realized that I have surpassed every expectation I really even had for myself. ::goosebumps:: This is rather exciting to a girl with an underdeveloped social life! Seriously! I remember being 17 and writing The Castle Song: “maybe, I can build my own wings, and maybe I can live in a dream, and maybe I’ll find beautiful things”. I remember how badly I wanted to be doing this! I had the worse stage fright up to a year ago. I could barely sing for my own family. Now, I look back on these past few months with all that I have accomplished and I just smile. I am not dancing yet... just smiling.  I am still not done though, and that’s exciting.

So... this bio was written a few months ago and SO much has changed! Sadly, I haven't even tried to change much They always say everything will "just happen". I will admit I am a hardcore daydreamer and I rely on things "falling into place". I don't know anything different! Trust me, I work hard, but everything seems to always falls into place. I think God has something to do with it ;-) Anyways, I am currently working with an awesome team to get full-band version cuts of my songs! Who is EXCITED?!?! I am. Believe me!