One Year Ago

Today marks the bittersweet 1 year anniversary of the day that I left for California.

All of my blog entries are still up from last year, so if you get bored or curious, you can go back in the time line and read about the encounter as it happened... or, you can listen to me tell it with my 20/20 hindsight.

This isn't something that I talk about freely, and with all my new friends that I've made over at Twitter, I may have mentioned casually that I was [once] a singer, but none of them know the details of the story. These are the details.

In March 2007 I was signed to a independent record label. In May of 2008 they sent me out to LA for a week to record with a producer, Fortune Otega. He had previously worked with Christina Millian and some other guy who had a really popular club song in the 90's... I can't remember his name right now...

Anyhow, I spent a week in LA. For someone who comes from a very small town in Kansas to eventually follow their dreams all the way out to LA - it was magnificent. I was so scared, I tried to not be too green or too naive... I tried to be strong.

Fortune had a lot of faith in me. He told me throughout the week that the songs we did together were going to be his big break, that this was his Grammy... I knew instantly that he was just one of those people who told you what you wanted to hear and did what he wanted to on his own.

Fortune had known my manager for 10 years prior, so please don't believe that I was quick to trust... I'm not.

That week we made 5 songs. I put my blood, sweat and tears into all 5 of them. Literally on all accounts.

There was an extremely personal song that I wrote about my mother leaving me when I was baby, I had put intricate details into the song and could barely sing it without crying... Fortune wanted to change it. I stood my ground... He said "this could be a great mother's day song..." How could something that goes 'Mommy, mommy, why did you leave me?' be a mother's day song?

I fought. I bled. I won.

At the end of the week I was a much stronger person that I had previously been. I do not hold California a grudge against all that went down in that beautiful state.

As Fortune dropped me off at the airport, he promised that by the time I got back to Kansas City I would have my songs waiting for me in my inbox. They weren't. I called him, he said I would have them waiting for me when I woke up. They weren't. He promised me a week, then two weeks... then finally it was almost the 4th of July and I wanted something to take back to my small town to show them what I had done and accomplished while I was in LA.

He said that I was "immature" and that I could "push his process". I said that he was "unprofessional" and a "liar".

He deleted my songs and I have since cut all ties with him. (And he called ME immature...)

My step mom still asks to this day if she'll ever be able to hear those songs. That pains me since I'm sure that's the only time she's been supportive of my career choices.

Since then, I have maybe written a verse or a chorus... I left my label at the end of my contract and have no plans to return to them, no matter how generous their offer.

Did he break me? No... but I do admit that I'm still bent.

Will I ever return to singing? Yes. Undoubtedly. More than likely I'll restart at the beginning of the year, that's more than enough time to lick my wounds and get my head on straight.

In the meantime, I'm quickly learning guitar, so I can be more self sufficiant. I do not want to be a pop artist like my mangement and Fortune tried to push me into... I would much rather be a folk/indie/rock artist and sing about the shit that really matters to me.

In conclusion; I've found so much of myself in the last year. A lot of it is even visable through photos. I have changed, I've become stronger, wiser, healthier, more beautiful inside and out. (And totally just realized that I've been a vegetarian for over a year. I started Jan 08)

Some of my favorite photos from LA:


It's basically fabulous. I do miss it.


Seeing the Hollywood sign was epic. I cried.


First time I saw the ocean. Another epic. I cried.


I loved Hollywood. Pretty epic. Didn't cry.

Then me today (okay, not TODAY, but you know what I mean.) It's not just the haircolor that's changed. It's everything.


I feel like I'm *almost* myself.



Never let anyone - a publicist, record label, producer, your mother, father, sister, brother, best friend or dog - anyone, never let anyone ever tell you who to be, how to sing, or how to do something. Do it YOUR way.

Much love - xoxox

Jodie Platz