To and from Gigs

Book excerpt: Herb Hicks is an artist who understands the fear behind painting a self-portrait but who also appreciates that a candid recounting of events in life can provide an emotional catharsis. It is with this theory in mind that he shares his fascinating personal experiences and insight into his views as he recalls a unique journey through a creative life filled with adventures and misadventures. In his memoir, Hicks begins with remembrances from his childhood growing up in North Dakota, where he emulated his cowboy heroes by riding a pretend horse, wearing real bearskin chaps, and firing a Red Ryder BB gun at imaginary desperadoes. As he matured, he found a passion for music, formed his own combo, and began traveling to and from gigs that took him from North Dakota to Montana and beyond. Motivated by his love for music, Hicks eventually landed in California, where he began playing professionally and found a new passion as a visual artist a discovery that leads him down an unforgettable path, questioning his challenges, choices, chances, and changes. To and from Gigs is the intimate memoir of a musician, artist, and teacher who embarked on a lifelong search to find his better self.