Perpetual Change — Michelle Garcia, Part 2

Michelle on stage.

Last month, Perpetual Change posted the first part of our most recent interview with multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist Michelle Garcia.  She was first introduced to TGForum readers in 2006.  Since that time, Michelle has recorded several CD’s and even has an autobiographical film out entitled Tipping The Scales: The Michelle Rocking Horse Garcia Story.

Her newest album is entitled Dead End Street and will be released this month. Her music doesn’t stay tied to any particular genre’, and no matter what style Michelle decides to work with — blues, rock, jazz, R&B, Latin, etc. — it’s done exceptionally well. She’s masterful at anything she attempts, she doesn’t just play at it — she actually performs with true artistic integrity in any given genre she chooses. That alone is rare, and it’s also the reason I find Michelle Garcia’s music so interesting. You just can’t get bored listening to what she has to offer.

So, without further blathering from me, TGForum and Perpetual Change is honored to present Part 2 of our interview with the incredible (and very beautiful) Michelle Garcia.

TGForum: Let’s talk a bit about the up-coming film, Tipping The Scales: The Michelle Rocking Horse Garcia Story Obviously, this is a completely autobiographical project, correct? When did you begin the project, and how much music is included? What is your ultimate goal and/or hope for the film?

Michelle Garcia: Yes, Tipping The Scales… is an autobiographical project. There’s about 15 original songs of mine in the film and I’ve been collecting information for t his film for over 40 years. I knew one day I might want to make a documentary of my strange, wild, adventurous life. Perhaps with this film I can help empower the transgender community.

Back in the ‘70s, CBS News was doing a special on Folk Medicine. At that time, I was known as Aaron Grey Horse, Native American master herbologist, singer/songwriter. When it aired, my friend taped the event on a Beta cassette. Not many folks use Beta audio equipment, although it tracked better than VHS. So I held on to it for 40 years, never had a chance to see it, until now. The CBS footage is priceless. I make some traditional medicine, light things on fire, and sing an original Native American song I wrote called Sun Dancer. But of course that’s on a 10 minute segment in this full length feature.

I’m hoping this film will be a contribution and testimony that one can be successful, even if you are born in the wrong body. I’d like to make an impact, empower the spirit, educate and give the audience a glimpse at what it feels like to be re-incarnated without dying.

TGF: I have to ask, though, why go through the hassle of attempting such a large scale project at this time?

MG: My manager Gary Carnivele is a film director and producer. Like me, he also has a background in radio and we met at my last job in California at KRCB. They are a PBS/NPR affiliate and I worked as the underwriter director at the same time Gary was doing his LGBT show on Out Beat radio for Sonoma County 101 NPR.

Gary and I clicked as friends and he asked me if I’d like to produce an LGBT Documentary about my life with him. I had a nice collection of live music gigs, some TV interviews in both genders, the performance from the Transgender San Francisco 2000 Cotillion, a live farewell concert at the Kauai Community Theatre. There’s the SFQRZ music video, and my Native American music video, Fighting For The Good Of Man

These are some of the live performance footage from the LGBT vigil march for Gwen Araujo, the young transgender Latina woman who was a victim of a brutal hate crime and was killed in 2002. That was taken from Some Reasons For Living an anti-hate crime documentary starring my lil’ trans sister Christian Rodriquez and I when I was know just as Michelle Garcia. I had to change my name somewhat for the entertainment industry. It’s now Michelle Rocking Horse Garcia.

You see, if you look up Michelle Garcia, the name I was born with, there are hundreds of folks with that name. Some of them are even musicians, none of them really professional, and I don’t want to be mistaken for any of these folks. I morphed my Native American totem with what I do and came up with Michelle Rocking Horse Garcia.

Familiarity with the release of New Grey Line will give the listener some edge over those who will hear Dead End Street for the first time. I never really released New Grey Line in the commercial way expected of most artists. I held back because I was already writing SFQRZ and want to stay focused. While living in Nashville, I had written Laughing IN The Kitchen and enough material for two good albums. But some of the new material did not complement each other as an album project should. So I reassessed the body of my music and realized I should combine the 5 best songs of New Grey Line with 5 songs of my new material, making this album the best work I’ve done. There is not a dull, or any filler songs on Dead End Street This is a solid contribution of work recorded at Don Sullivan’s studio in Nashville. I did the same thing with my instrumental album, Spanish Traveler now the New Spanish Traveler. I deleted the fillers in favor of the new instrumentals I had been writing and produced. The sound is tremendous. I can’t stop grinning.

When the film is released, I wanted to have all my albums in place, before and after transition, available for the first time on iTunes. It’s happening all at once for a reason! It was a lot of waiting, and a lot of work to produce but worth bitting a nail or tow over. Also, soon fans can even purchase the much belated double album, Who Was Aaron Grey Horse? On disc one, the listener will hear 10 tracks of my rock band in Los Angeles. On disc two, you will hear all the Native American music I’ve written.

TGF: What kind of acceptance and reaction do you get from the Latin community? And, from the GLBT community in general?

MG: It’s always been good. I think it’s how you treat people that matters. I worked at the Mission Council in San Francisco in the heart of the Latino community and although I experienced some stereotype transgender prejudice from Spanish clients in the beginning, they soon saw that I was no different than them. After earning their respect, I then began to educate. The LGBT community has always been gracious to me, but I have seen others get the catty treatment, but meow, darling, I rather be scratched by a cat than bitten by a dog.

I had the chance to work with some special LGBT folks over the years. From 2000 through 2006 I met and worked with the people on the front lines of drug and alcohol abuse, hate crimes, domestic violence, and HIV prevention in San Francisco. My position as program director to non-profit organizations allowed me to help develop the LGBT classes provided. I was able to use my skills as a holistic health educator and my radio background in delivering a voice to the community they could hear. Of course being crowned Miss TGSF 2000 was the biggest thrill I had, working with the LGBT community.

TGF: If you had one thing to say to the transgender community, what would it be?

MG: Support transgender artists! Find out who they are, listen to their music and buy it if you think it’s good. But if you do like it, tell a friend. The list of good transgender artists is longer than one would expect. Support transgender artists, people. My mother thanks you, and I do too.

TGF: Any advice for young musicians, trans or not, who are just starting out?

MG: Yes, I think it’s the duty of the elder to offer some advice, trans or not, queer, questioning, accepted, also. I worked in music stores for a few years and had a chance to teach music and got to know some of the young talent their attitudes, likes and dislikes. If you want to be a musician my advice is to study and listen to a little classical music and stay clear of the boom boxes that offer beats and bass patterns. They are for folks who are not musicians. If you play guitar, great. Learn acoustic and electric styles. Don’t dismiss the acoustic guitar as a rhythm instrument. Learn its blues, folk and rock applications. If you are a songwriter, terrific, but don’t overlook learning hook lead lines and creating melodies on your instrument. So many young writers just strum the chords and sing, no matter how prolific, it’s boring. Even Bob Dylan learned how to play more than chords.

If you want to learn how to play bass, learn all the right technics. Play with all your fingers, thumb, and learn how to play with a pick, only as a type of bass sound. Don’t play with a pick all the time, it limits your total soundscape and ability to chose a variety of music patterns available. If you are really committed to being a great musician, then learn how to play piano, but start with the drums first. The drums gives you the ability to set a tempo and lock in the beat. The piano is also a percussion instrument and once learned you can hopefully begin to understand music theory. I look at the piano like a road map of music, just press the key. Now, where would you like to travel to?

TGF: In closing, any final thoughts?
MG: Yah, know any place around here you can get a decent meal and a shave? Ha!

*******
The aforementioned film, Tipping The Scales: The Michelle Rocking Horse Garcia Story will be presented Saturday, Nov. 3rd, at the San Francisco LGBT Center, 3 p.m. For more information, check out the organization’s web site, www.sfcenter.org; also www.tippingthescalesmovie.com. Michelle Garcia’s music is available through a variety of sources such as indiemusicchannel.com, Reverbnation.com, iTunes, Songkick, CDbaby, and SoundCloud. Albums can also be purchased through Amazon.com, and you can follow Michelle Garcia on Facebook.

ALSO THIS MONTH

Jennifer Leitham

News from Jennifer Leitham
Friday, November 9 and Saturday, November 10
I STAND CORRECTED
Rehobeth Beach Independent Film Festival

Saturday, November 10
I STAND CORRECTED
Outrageous Film Festival
Santa Barbara, Ca

November 18 – 25
Jazz Alive 2012
Pacific Coastal Cruise on the Crystal Symphony
Los Angeles round-trip – stops in Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Ensenada & San Diego

Sunday December 9
The Jennifer Leitham Trio
Jennifer Leitham bass, vocals
Andy Langham piano
Randy Drake drums
11am to 3pm
The Lighthouse Cafe
30 Pier Ave
Hermosa Beach California 90254
US 310.376.9833

Florez in a music video.

Storm Miguel Florez’s video for his song I’ve Been To Manhattan has received a glowing review from none other than The Advocate. In part, the review says, “Sounding like a sexier transgender answer to Johnny Cash, Florez is a Mexican-American folksinger to watch out for, and the video is chock full of other trans pop-cultural cameos from other San Francisco artists including indie rocker Shawna Virago and dancer Sean Dorsey.”

And last, but most definitely not least, TGForum would like to offer a friendly reminder to anyone in the Las Vegas area, or for those who will be traveling there soon, to check out David de Alba’s upcoming tribute to Judy Garland at the Onyx Theatre in Las Vegas, Sunday, November 11th (Onyx Theatre, 935 East Sahara Ave, #16, Las Vegas, NV, 702-732-7225. Also check out David’s web site for more information.

Tags: featured, music, Musician

Category: Music