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An interview with Indie Music Hall of Fame inductee and

Indie Music Channel Award winning artist 

TerryLee Whetstone

Hometown: Odessa, MO

​​Website:  Music4Winds.com

Indie Music Channel:

www.indiemusicchannel.com/profile/TerryLeeWHETSTONe​

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IMC Mag: "TerryLee, take us back, how did you get into music?"

TLW: "It has been in my blood from the beginning. Even when I started moving around in the crib, I liked to bang whatever I could find. I avoided singing in school. Through the years of grade school, I wanted to play the piano. But a music school convinced my parents I should play the accordion. If I learned it, I could play anything with keys. Had sort of a low with music through Junior High and High School. I became a jock in running sports and baseball—music sort of set indel in the back of my mind. After High school, I started doing some arts and crafts and doing shows to sell what I was doing. Did an art show in Oklahoma and the evening outside I heard music that I had never heard before. Come to find out it was an American Indian style flute. THe next day I was on the search to find one to buy. Got shocked over the prices I found. I finally ask a store where I could maybe find one for less dollars. He sent me to a store he called a tourist trap. I found one there for exactly what I had in my pocket from the previous day showing which was not good in sales. I was so set on the flute and didn't think of food money or fuel to get home. The lady that was with me said, "Go for it!" She said we would make the money today for food and fuel to get home."


IMC Mag: "When did you start to really pursue your music career seriously?"

TLW: "Took me a while to learn how to get clean notes out of the wild reed flute I purchased. Once I did, I wanted one made out of wood. I contacted this guy on the internet and talked to him about a Native American-style flute. He played one over the phone to me. I said I had to have it and purchased it. Note, this meant I ate peanut butter and crackers until the next week's paycheck because I spent all my money except enough left over for fuel to get to work and home. Once I had this flute which I had not seen and did not know this guy at all I started playing it for about 30 days if I remember correctly. So then I contacted a good friend which I still call a brother to this day. We sat in the floor of the duplex I was renting and started recoding into my component stereo to the double cassette deck. My good friend/brother added sound effects by rubbing the carpet with the mic lying on it. He used a pop bottle with different levels of water in it and blew across the top of it for sound effects. I took this master cassette tape and duplicated it on my own double-deck record/play unit. I made 35 cassettes if I remember correctly. I took them to a show and did a short performance on stage at the event. I sold all 35 of them and had people wanting more of them. This is what set my future! Use to wonder what "IF". What if I did not sell the cassettes would I keep on going? Well, that thought is way behind me and never to be thought of again."


IMC Mag: "What are some of your most proudest accomplishments in your career thus far?"

TLW: "1) the sale out of the first cassette I did for a show and it selling out with the crowd wanting more. 2) When I did my first CD along with having the cassettes also. Professionally done. Had 100 of each made. I sold almost out of both of them. A lot of people were purchasing both the CD and the cassette. I would have to trace my steps backward to figure out when this was. It was the time of the transition starting for the sale of CDs and not cassettes. 3) The first time I was called and asked to come play at a show and set up a table to sell my music. I was being paid to play. At the time I felt pretty big even though it was only $50.00 for "1" hour of performing. I think I sold about 65 CDs and my hand cramped up from signing them all. 4) I use reverb and delay in my style of play most of the time. People/other players started saying I could not play if I did not have the help of reverb and delay. So I found a show where there was a closed-room competition for flute players. I believe there were 9 entries and we all had to play with no effects in front of 5 judges sitting behind a desk. There were first, second, third, and fourth winners. I won 1st and was asked to lead the other 3 into playing a song together in the center of the art show for the people. I got the other 3 ready in about 15 min. and we performed for the people at the show. 5) When I took a big step with the help of an art/craft store in Kansas. On a professional stage with lighting and a great sound system, Selling tickets and advertising the performance. I asked my son to handle the on-stage smoke/cloud matching and a small fan. I told a story and played flute at different places on the stage. Had a flute at each place I stopped and made it look like they were just floating in the air. I did the total choreographing of my performance. I also, brought my son onto the stage to play a song a couple of times. The first time I had my son on a professional stage inside an auditorium. 6) Having my son travel with me and play drums behind me and doing duet flute songs at times. 7) Years past entering music competitions and along came the INDIE Music Channel when I was surfing the net. At first, I did not know if I fit or not. A friend sort of helped push me into joining and entering some music. I went to the awards and did not win. But, it was now in my blood that it was my place, my home. 8) 2014 - Won the Emerging Artist of the Year award. This was my first win at the INDIE Music Channel Awards. From this point on I knew I could record music to be winners. 9) 2020 - Becoming an Inductee into the INIDE Music Hall of Fame. 10) 2024 - Receiving the President's Award. after the 2020 and 2024 happenings, I am not after the GRAMMYS."


IMC Mag: "What do you have coming up?"

TLW: "Here in KC, Mo., there are no places to play for a single American Indian-style flute player unless you play for $25.00-$50.00 lunches. So I spend my time each day in my studio recording music, creating music/videos, and short documentaries.I have enough songs to release my 2nd children's album and almost all the songs I want to pick from for my 33rd album. I still want to produce 100 copies of each on a CD. Call me old Fashen and do not want to give up on CD format. I record 30-35 songs and then break it down to 18 to go on my album release. Call all the songs that do not end up on an album, my raining day songs. If I have a day I can not create a new song I could go to the rainy day songs and pick one. Still have not had to do this. I have built around 3000 backing track music for myself or if I need it for someone who comes in to record in my studio. The sky is the limit! So how high is the sky?"

Link to where fans can buy TerryLee's music: Music4Winds.com/music

 

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