As mentioned, we are doing a new series called Fan Takeovere, where you may takeover the blog for a day and post whatever you wish. The first person to send a takeoever post was Andrew Shepard, so here is his post:<\/p>\n
…..<\/p>\n
My hands are shaking as I type this, and I have a monster the size of a parrot on my shoulder whispering something that isn\u2019t reassurance into my ear right now. \u00a0But I\u2019ll talk more about him<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>on my own platform<\/span>. \u00a0Right now, I want to focus on how unbelievable it is that I\u2019m getting this opportunity; to even associate with one of my idols like this . . . it just doesn\u2019t feel real. \u00a0It\u2019s like I\u2019m living in some weird wonderland and any second the Red Queen is going to jump up and throw me back into the real world.<\/span><\/p>\n But I\u2019m not, am I? \u00a0This is real. \u00a0<\/span>This is fucking real!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n But that\u2019s enough ass-kissing. \u00a0I apologize for how much of an obsessive fanboy I am. \u00a0I\u2019m not writing this just to suck up to s<\/span>omebody I practically worship<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n T<\/span>his is a sort of thank-you to one of the people who helped me realize what I want to do in life. \u00a0I didn\u2019t know I was an artist until I listened to the New Albion Trilogy and other works by our lord and savior. \u00a0It\u2019s a little (okay,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a lot) gushy to say this, but<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Paul, you<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>really are the catalyst that kick-started my career as a legitimate musician.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ve always loved music. \u00a0I\u2019ve got so much of it downloaded onto my tablet that I don\u2019t even have enough space to update my pre-installed apps. \u00a0I started playing the trumpet in fifth grade and I\u2019ve been told that when I started playing piano, it was like I had reconnected with an old friend. \u00a0But I didn\u2019t realize that music was my life until I stumbled onto Dolls one night after talking with a fellow steampunk about steampunk music.<\/span><\/p>\n I wrote my first song after listening to Dolls. \u00a0Spoiler alert, it sucked, and I\u2019ve forgotten it now. \u00a0But it was the start of an electronic album that was supposed to tell a story without the use of lyrics because I suck at lyrics.<\/span><\/p>\n As I got more into making music instead of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>just listening to it, Paul\u2019s works stuck with me. \u00a0You\u2019re all going to judge me for this, but I learned all of Dolls by ear and actually performed the first act as my senior project in high school. \u00a0I also check this blog religiously. \u00a0Like I said, I\u2019m an obsessive fanboy and I\u2019m sorry.<\/span><\/p>\n It was the post about<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Bifrost Incident<\/em><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that made me realize I could actually make music career. \u00a0I\u2019m not Freddy Mercury or Roger Waters. \u00a0I\u2019m not even Paul Shapera or The Mechanisms, but the latter two made me realize that I didn\u2019t have to be the former to be a musician. \u00a0I\u2019d already written a song. \u00a0I liked telling stories through music.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>And apparently that\u2019s something more people than me do.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0So, fuck it, I said at seventeen, I\u2019m going to write a concept album and release it on<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Bandcamp<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n So, yeah. \u00a0Thanks, Paul. \u00a0I had no direction in life and now I intend on graduating college with a liberal arts deg<\/span>ree so I can make Jack Shit selling music.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As mentioned, we are doing a new series called Fan Takeovere, where you may takeover the blog for a day and post whatever you wish. 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