Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: Tori Amos

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip:

Tori Amos

In my own, personal, big gay church, there is a wing dedicated to Those of the Heart. These are the singers, songwriters and muses who have spent a lifetime capturing various aspects of the human condition. Frequently, due to the whims of the music industry, their lives were not always their own... but they persevered... ultimately remaining true to their roles as seers of the heart. One such soul?

Tori Amos.

The industry did all they could to get her to fit into a mold. Instead? She broke that mold and created a new archetype. 

Classically-trained, she was musically fearless, wielding the piano like others worked the  guitar. 

From day one, there has always been something insular, something organic in nature stemming from her compositional outpourings. Music sprang from her fingers like sparks.

Her examination of self would eventually evolve to include a world picture and her place within it. Through character studies and song cycles, she would weave stories both tragic and triumphant. All the while resisting the industry's desire for her to bend to their commercial expectations. She resisted. She was defiant. She called them out for the way they packaged, objectified and sold female artists. 

Through marriage and motherhood, she found herself anew. Forever evolving, cultivating new growth while exploring startling musical territory. 

She's lived as honestly as possible, given her chosen path.

The gospel according to her?

Well, here are three from the hip, dropping from her lips.

The topic? Self-discovery.

"I think you have to know who you are. Get to know the monster that lives in your soul, dive deep into your soul and explore it."

"Some people are afraid of what they might find if they try to analyze themselves too much, but you have to crawl into your wounds to discover where your fears are. Once the bleeding starts, the cleansing can begin."

"I think everyone understands grief, the journey it takes us on, whether it's the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, a disappointment. Some people don't deal with it, the power of it. Some do. Some feel the weight of it and it informs their choices. I've had to open up to grief in different contexts."

Crucify - Tori Amos

Sort Of Fairytale - Tori Amos

Promise - Tori Amos

And one last parting shot...

"I know I'm an acquired taste - I'm anchovies. And not everybody wants those hairy little things."