Final Paper & Image

An American Icon

Kimberly Freeman is the lead singer and guitarist of the Texas-based band, One-Eyed Doll. Since coming out with her band’s first album in 2007, her fan-base has jumped from a small following to thousands of fans world-wide. She has released three other albums since her debut, including one piece of solo work. Those three successful albums have led to multiple nationwide tours, making her a rock star in her own right. Musicians like her give me the inspiration to play music.

My fascination with music began about six years ago, when I started to take piano lessons. After grasping the basics, I soon grew accustomed to the piano; playing became second nature. However, as I grew older and my interests began to shift, I found myself bored with the instrument I had once been so fond of. The slow-moving music I had been taught to play over the years no longer kept my attention. Around three years after I first began to play piano, I quit.

            The next few years flew swiftly by; my mind occupied by other things. The absence of piano hadn’t been as apparent in those hectic couple of years, but as my life began to slow down, I felt the need to do something. My taste in music had shifted drastically since I initially wanted to play an instrument, and I found that the guitar better suited my new interests. Upon this revelation, I got myself an electric guitar and began taking lessons.

            Slow-going at first, I started to play guitar. As I gradually got better, I found I was able to mimic the sounds of my favorite bands, such as One-Eyed Doll. The music I’d grown to appreciate was now at my fingertips, as I was able to reproduce the notes from much-loved songs. By adopting the guitar as my instrument of choice, I was now able to emulate my icon – Kimberly Freeman.   

            I find Kimberly Freeman to be inspirational not only in the music she plays, but in the attitude she carries. She makes music for the sake of making music, putting every one of her albums on her website for free. She does this because she wants all of her fans to be able to enjoy her music, whether or not they can afford to purchase it. Although I can’t say I’ll follow in her footsteps as a professional guitar player in a rock band, or that I’d want to, I can definitely take inspiration in her lifestyle – doing what she loves to do on a daily basis by following her dreams and working hard. If I am able to achieve this in life, I will feel as if I have succeeded.