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North-east New Jersey, USA
eMail: Jemini515@aol.com
Dear Jim,
My brain stopped functioning properly and my heart just plain stopped the moment I experienced my first Jim Steinman song. It was "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)", and I was eleven years old, circling a New Jersey roller skating rink that thankfully played unedited, full-length songs. In 1996 my Jim Steinman fanship flourished significantly when I learned you were working on Whistle Down the Wind just as, as an excited thirteen year old, I was falling quickly in love with all things theatrical.
Since then my fascination with you has developed into an obsession so huge that it's somehow appropriate, as it is the Lord of Excess himself that I'm devoted to. Now in celebration of your birthday in the year 2000, I have the honor of writing a few words to one of my greatest influences, a person I truly idolize. . . a real Messenger of Dreams.
I could write until the end of time about how amazing you are, but I know you've heard it all before. How talented, inspiring, and beautiful you are as a musician and as a man. Well, all of that is definitely true. I could also go into all the details of how I didn't leave my room for a week (literally) when I got the Bad For Good record because I couldn't stop playing it on loop, or how I had to take a day off from school to physically and emotionally recover from my first listening of the Dream Engine CDs. I could fill up this entire book with praise for you or with all the ways your creations have changed me, but mostly want to do here is to thank you. Thank you for opening my eyes to passion and notions of nothing in moderation. Your music and philosophy have changed so many lives and built so many amazing dreams, but you've done even more than that for me-forget just building dreams; you've taught me how to dream. You got to me young enough to really affect me. You're etched into my soul for good.
Thanks in part to your influence, I've been on a mad quest to write epic musicals, some of which I think you would really like. My latest project is a heroic rock musical that, although it is entirely original, I have to admit I never would've dreamed up had I never discovered the magic and majesty that is Jim Steinman. You have absolutely changed the way I look at music, theatre, the pursuit of the extreme, and the extraordinary way they can combine. I've tried so hard to learn everything I can about these things, and after some time spent on music theory classes and an intensive musical theatre writing college course (among other academic exertions), I've found that nothing can teach me as much as I learn in just one song of yours. So at age seventeen I return to the source, the reason I wanted to write epic musicals in the first place. I know that some of the greatest lessons I'll ever learn about theatre and music have been and will be found in your work. An ultimate life goal of mine is to take everything I've learned from you and create something that could possibly approach the greatness of your work-intense, stirring, extreme, and earth shattering. Another of my greatest ambitions is to someday, someway earn your respect by means of a creation of my own.
I very rarely use the words "hero" or "genius" to describe anybody, and I hate when people throw them around freely without really meaning what they're saying. I want you to know that when I do use these words I mean them in a very extreme and sincere sense. To me, you are both of these things-a hero and a genius, and also much more.
However you may perceive yourself, just know you're perfect through my eyes and through the eyes so many fans around the world. From the Dream Engine to Tanz der Vampire, we're all here ready and willing to experience whatever gem you want to give to the world. So many of us believe that the next cool, exceptional show to change Broadway or next great album to change the music world will be the next piece by Jim Steinman. So many of us are inspired by you in all areas of life, artistic and otherwise, and want to use everything you've given us in whatever way we can. And we all look forward to everything you do in the future and are ready to enter any great kingdom you create.
Thank you for everything. Have a very happy birthday!
With sincerest regards,
Jemini515
PS-If you ever need anything, anything at all, drop me an email and I'll be at your service. I only live approximately 36.6 miles away from you!
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Short Stories | Narratives | Drawings | Poetry + Prose | Digital Art | Novels
Paintings | Commercial Art | Symbiosis | Kingdom | The 8 Laws of Excess | Complete Works
Xavier T Home | Cycling Stuff | FAQ | JSP Archives | Rubdown Archives | EmailXAVIER T : JSP ARCHIVE
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