Yikes, I don’t belong here!

If not painfully shy, I was at least awkwardly quiet growing up. And I can’t really say that I’ve blossomed into this gregarious, outgoing individual who yearns for that warm sizzle of the spotlight. Truth is, I do want to be onstage, but I want to be the guy dressed in black running around making sure everything goes smoothly. You don’t really need to see me or even know that I’m there, but I want to know that what I do matters. I’m fine with the anonymity. More than fine, I’m comfortable, even.

Which is why this blog thing was such an odd decision for me. I have no problem writing about (or even as!) colorful characters who are bold, snappy and take command of any situation they saunter into. But that’s not who I am, personally. As I said just one paragraph earlier, I am quite comfortable being invisible.

The reason I went to college was to study music. I am classically trained in theory, orchestration, arranging, etc. However, the instant I stepped away from my formal training at The Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, I started playing rock. Eventually, through a totally banal series of events, I stumbled into music journalism (even though, as a writer, I had no formal training). In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t long before I found myself on the phone or face-to-face with such intimidating personalities as Billy Joel, Dan Fogelberg, The Moody Blues, Stone Temple Pilots, etc.

“Yikes, I don’t belong here!” Yeah, I’ve thought and felt that. On many occasions. But over time — and because of some good friends who had more belief in me than I undoubtably did — I learned how to make my personality work in a way I’d never imagined. I learned how I fit in to the puzzle without trying to change who I was to do that.

In this blog, I’m going to talk about anything and everything music. One day I might tell you about the kid down the street learning to play guitar while the next I might reveal snippets of a conversation I just had with the latest Disney superstar. I might reminisce about something that happened years ago or tell you about an upcoming event that I’m really excited about. Who knows? I sure don’t. But that’s what will keep it unpredictable and exciting, right?

Hello, my name is Allen Foster . . . and I’m a blogger.