Often, those who tread off the beaten path are misunderstood or mischaracterized and so we asked folks from the community to reflect and tell us about the times they’ve been misunderstood or mischaracterized.

Andrew Trego

Absolutely. I’m primarily a wedding DJ. When I tell people that, they immediately envision the lame, out-of-touch guy in the corner with a Men’s Warehouse matching tie and vest and bunch of random cheap lights that you could find at Spencer’s gift store. It’s a tough stigma. But I fell in love with telling the couple’s story. Serving them. Uniting their crowd and making it the best celebration possible. That includes pushing the envelop and often making the wedding look and feel more like a club than a standard reception hall. I welcome people judging me off the bat because I will shatter their expectations. Read more>>

Dianna Fontes

My work is so often mischaracterized. Being an Astrologer and Witch often causes people to have surprising reactions to me and my work. In the beginning of my career, people would tell me they didn’t want to engage with my Astrological or Magical work but they’d buy or commission other art projects or retail items from me. At first, I was more patient and understanding about this but after a few years of people telling me all the reasons my practices were evil, forbidden, devil worship, and/or not real it was clear that there was a big misunderstanding happening. Read more>>

Serenity Hill

Being in such a strict industry people will put you in boxes and categories that don’t really reflect who you truly are. I remember my very first “sexy” publication. It was for a cigar company in which my photo would be printed in different stores or advertisements. I wore lingerie but kept it classy from the attire to the poses. It was all very tasteful, however some of my following did not think so. I posted my photo shoot on a day that celebrated body confidence. Read more>>

J.W. Leggio

When Briefcase Blues was founded in 1983, we were the only “tribute band” dedicated to the look and sound of the “Blues Brothers” original act. We were it. At that time “The Blues Brothers” (movie) had been out for almost three years, but it was a film, you know? – the plot-line, the characters, “back-stories”, all of that – but so much of the music from the live concerts was left out. We felt that was what our band should be about – the music, not JUST the suits, hats and shades. Read more>>

Brian Lindgren

With respect to being misunderstood, I have found that the diversity I strive to show in my music has worked against me at times. When I think of albums that I personally consider classics, they all contain range. They contain a range of keys, a range of BPM’s, and a range of emotional content. So, when it came time to write my first album I tried to demonstrate a similar range. I tried to show good times, and bad times, and everything in-between. Read more>>

Black Market Translation

Our work is inductive and 100% improvised, so often we do not even fully understand it until after the experiment has been run and we can listen to the results. Most popular music starts from a more deductive place, ie the artist is going to write a four minute sad pop song about a breakup. Our band is the sound of three people spending over a thousand hours playing together (and with countless jam partners) developing a less ego-driven intention to sonically follow. Read more>>