Tucson Sounds: Music is the method for rocker Stella di Rossi's 'Madness'

Some people play music for a living and some people play music in order to live. Local musician and artist Stella di Rossi does a little bit of both. The Tucson singer and guitarist (whose smoky soprano evokes Dolly Parton as rock and roller) has never stopped singing, playing and performing, even through some unimaginable obstacles. Maybe it helps that she's been listening since the womb.

Stella di Rossi: “Both my parents were professional performers. My mother is an opera and jazz singer, her father was a professional Motown era studio player and gig musician for several big names. My grandmother sang with blues and gospel legends. My father was also a musician and painter. So I pretty much grew up around studios, professionals and theater people.  My mother put headphones on her belly and played me symphonies in utero and I’d move to the beats.She even sang while I was being born. I began performing at age two and sang literally before I could speak sentences."

”I studied Suzuki method, and did studio and theater as well as singing, learning orchestral violin and piano and working part time as a backup singer and violinist on the weekends at my uncles’ recording studios. I started being on stage at an early age and now 37 years later, I still love it.”

“You always learn from everyone you meet in life. That why it’s good to be humble and open. Training is something that isn’t for everyone. Some of the world’s greatest artists aren’t trained. They just had something in them. And some of the world’s greatest players are classically trained. I’m trained classically and fused that with self taught rock, so I’m part of both worlds. Trained or self taught, music’s still art. It’s feelings transmuted for the masses to experience. 

TucsonSentinel.com: You’ve mentioned that you're a survivor of domestic abuse and that that drives a lot of your work as a musician and as a nonprofit fundraiser. Are you willing to share your story?

SdR: “In 1999, I was kidnapped by my (at the time) spouse and taken to Guatemala to perform as a musician. I am a human-trafficking survivor.”

“I disappeared from work and life and everyone for over 10 years. My ex husband kept me out of contact with family and friends for all of that time. He kept me drugged and compliant and only allowed social interaction so I could perform and make money to support his drug habit. It was pretty much like being married to Ike Turner. When he was angry, I was scorched by propane, thrown down stairs and once had my teeth knocked out. We had no phone or electricity and lived in the remote highlands and I didn’t speak the language. I had my child in captivity and my son was used as a pawn to make sure I performed.”

“Once I worked my way up to festivals and performances with charity organizations, I used that channel in hopes to be seen by someone who might know me. My mom finally found me through a newsletter and when she heard video of me singing and playing, she knew that was her kid.” 

“Music saved my life. I survived and, despite bad teeth, PTSD and scars, I still perform.”

TS: Given that history, it takes some balls (ovaries?) to keep moving forward with music not just as a creative venture, but as a career. So tons of respect to you for that! Now that you’re where you are, playing and writing for yourself, what have been your experiences being a professional musician?

SdR: “My recovery is due to the art that I do and the fight I still have in me. Like many abuse survivors, I was on my own once I escaped my abuser. My band is my vehicle to fight back where the system failed. To be a beacon and help others that fall through the cracks like I did. So this is more than just music to me. My voice was my conduit to freedom.”

TS: Tell us about your current band.

SdR: "Misty Tea, joined the band circa 2017 as rookie musician. We met in art class and I traded bass lessons for painting lessons. It worked out. She’s now my bassist and my best friend. She is amazing and started out on a 5-string fretless bass as a beginner. 'Rocking Rod' Shiple is a gentleman cowboy! He’s our rhythm guitar and sound guy. We have known him for over two years now through the local open mic night circuit and after hanging out for a long time we finally got him to join us and are glad to have him. He is usually known for country and folk music so it shocks everyone to see him hanging with a bunch of crazy rockers. Brian Hanner is the newbie. An orchestral geek and drummer that we love. He usually plays with symphony and teamed up with us this year to explore something new. 

"Then there is me, 'Stells Hell’s Bells,' singer, song writer, composer, band leader, violinist, vocalist, lead and rhythm guitar."

TS: Where’d the band’s name come from? 

SdR: "On a trip to Oaxaca, when my son was 5 months old, I had a vision quest. I know its cliché, but yeah I had one of those total 'Wayne’s World' moments where I saw Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison. There were Day of the Dead celebrations going on at the time and people I didn’t even know were dancing and singing along with  me. While I was singing, a man leaned in and said 'There is a method to your madness. Sing, girl, play that guitar.' And I knew. One by one, other musicians have joined the madness and I continue to be rocking over 20 years later. There is a method to our madness, it’s a consciousness of raising the vibrations and bringing love.

TS: Who are your musical influences? 

SdR: “Nirvana. I was really into the band as a teenager and even followed them on tour, got to meet Kurt for a few seconds and that changed everything for me. I literally became into rock music after seeing them play an outdoor show in the early '90s.” 

“I also grew up going to the 924 Gilman Street club in Berkeley and remember seeing Green Day back when they were Sweet Children and other bands like Save Ferris, AFI, Papa Roach and all those Cali bands including Rancid. I was in the pit  every weekend and dating musicians, learning licks and riffs since I was 14. I  love rock and roll. I didn’t get a lot of exposure to a lot of classic rock as a kid until I heard punk for the first time as a teenager. After a car accident where I couldn’t walk a good friend brought me a guitar since I could not play in the orchestra while I was recovering. It (again) changed everything. Grunge was the fuel to my angst, my frustration, my voice. It was me. I got to see the Gilman for time and became a Gilman kid, gutter punk and even got my 27 Factor tattoo. I learned in warehouses, at shows and from dubbed cassette tapes. My heart will always belong to 924 Gilman, it’s my home.”

TS: Who are some local musicians and bands that you love? 

SdR: "Gigi, of (local '80s cover band) Gigi and the Glow. Her stage production and all the work put into those shows are so professional it’s worth admiration. Mary of Mary After Dark is a hell of a singer. These two divas basically set the pathway for female rockers in town and have been doing this longer than anyone I’ve met here. There are both beautiful artists, people, support fellow artists and very kind unlike many other musicians here. One Drop Redemption, I got to recently sit 'ride along' style with those guys - Suba Dread, the legendary Banks and Najjah Dread - and it was a total learning experience. When artists take the time to pass on the trade to younger upcoming performers, it helps keep music alive.”

TS: Thoughts on the music scene overall and the rock scene locally?

SdR: “The thing that bothers me most is cliques. Anyone who is an outsider or a transplant, as well as new acts can’t get a chance at a lot of venues. Out of town acts tend to be paid more when they come here on tour, so local bands aren’t paid and can’t easily develop a following.”

“I recently played at Black Renaissance. It broke my heart to find so many African American rock bands can’t get booked in Tucson. We had a few hundred people at that show, and literally I was the only female rocker of color. It made me cry when two little girls and their mother came up to me, and asked for autographs and photos and told me 'it is so good for my daughters to see someone that looks like them on stage.'”

“I’m a strong female woman of color, plus sized and with a strong voice, shredding guitar and not a skinny perfect blonde Barbie doll like we are forced to see everywhere. I’ve been called racial slurs, spat on, been refused seating. It broke my heart to think of those kids going through the same thing. Made me want to fight even harder to not only break the glass ceiling but send a message. We aren’t going to take it its 2019. Musical segregation and stereotypes are not allowed. Rosetta Tharpe, the grandmother of rock and roll, was a plus-sized women of color. Get with it people!”

“Tucson has amazing musicians but there is still racism and sexism in parts of our music scene. Many people are shocked when they find out I’m here because they can’t understand why we aren’t performing more or even being paid.”

“It’s a pay to play market, most people are not being compensated fairly, and the few that are have succeeded because of who they know and how long they’ve been here, not because they play what the public wants to hear. Music is for the masses not just social cliques, and I think this hurts our local economy.”

“I feel like a lack of diversity and support for local up and coming bands is why the bars are empty, why open mics fail. People are getting tired of hearing the same music for 25 years. It’s sort of why I wrote the song 'Bitter Rivals,' which we’ll be recording soon. It’s my answer to everything and a voice to those that can’t have one..

TS: Other projects besides the band?

SdR:‌ “Besides music, I’m a visual artist, a painter like my father. I’ve done a few gallery shows around town and sell artwork abroad.”

“More importantly, though, I founded a social welfare nonprofit with my best friend Misty to advocate for socio-economic gaps in 2017 called The House of Rossi. It’s like a firefighter’s league of artisans that get together and donate their time, music, art with community volunteers to make a difference where people fall through cracks in the system. Many nonprofits are subject to limitations that a social welfare org isn’t. So we like to call ourselves the secondary cavalry.”

“We had some attention internationally and locally and are hoping to get more of the community involved. We are known for our 'Not So Silent Night' toy drive every year benefiting low-income families and foster children taken during the holiday season. We also advocate to end domestic violence. Because of my own experience as a human-trafficking survivor and a single mom, I really care about these issues. I fell through every crack in the system. Systemic domestic violence is a real. People aren’t aware of how so many programs have admin costs that take away from the actual causes, how the limitations of budgets constrict helping those in need. We throw concerts, sell art and just do what we can to fix things. Because we live here, we love T-town and musicians and artists get to give back, make a name for themselves and show love to those that need it.”

TS: Do you feel like musicians have a responsibility to address social issues?

SdR: “Yes. By telling my story, I hope to help other creative people to rise up and rise above. We have the people’s attention for a few hours, we can uplift, bring happiness, hope and awareness.

TS: Thoughts on music as a business vs. music as a creative pursuit?

SdR: “Despite my own passion and my back story, music is still business for me.”

“Everyone does creative pursuits for their own reasons, but you have to find that balance, and it’s tough. When you have a 'hobbyist' playing for free it can hurt those working for a living. Not everyone will see it that way, but, being a full time artist and musician and supporting yourself, or a family...that’s your bread and butter they’re messing with when they under cut you. As the expression goes, why buy the cow when the milk is free?”

“There is far more involved in music than just playing. It’s practice time, study, stage prep, equipment, investments education, etc. And when you have a venue making money and they don’t pay you back for your investment, it’s horrible. Demeaning. It’s - dare I say it - slave labor. Most musicians are paid low wages, because it’s not understood that the performance is a job for us. Entertainers need to come together and find a resolution for those who want to have a hobby and those who need to make a living.”

TS: You mentioned experiencing racism and sexism in your career, both here and elsewhere. Can you share more about those topics?

SdR: “This is a male-dominated industry. Women have always been second-class citizens or treated as pop divas. Most people assume as a female musician you have to be a singer. They never assume we are players.”

“When I take my guitar into the shop, it’s assumed it’s my son’s guitar or my boyfriend’s instrument. I’m asked where the band is, and then I blow their minds.”

“I get people telling me to rise above (sexism and racism) but they have no idea how far I’ve already risen. Being of color, plus-sized, a survivor, having agoraphobia,PTSD, and still being out there take a lot out of a person. So when some guy talks down to me, they get hell fire. They might think I’m a bitch, but  I learned after everything to demand the respect the guys get. I try to be civil and professional but I have no issue standing my ground. I’ve survived worse, a male ego is nothing comparatively.”

“As for racism,  I grew up in a multicultural home, my mother Egyptian and Muslim, my father Sicilian and Pagan. As an Afro-Sicilian American, I get it on both sides. One side for being the black person stepping out of her stereotype from people of color. I am not black enough, I should sing R&B or jazz, why rock and roll? Because it’s who I am and what I feel.”

“On the other end, I’ve experienced indifference, intolerance or outright avoidance from white people. How dare I be a strong, educated, young person of color playing rock music. 'She sucks. She is too fat.'”

“I’ve had people give ultimatums preventing me from participating in community events, people refusing me chairs and even heard the occasional 'n' bomb or had beer bottles thrown at me.”

“At this point, I try to stand strong and be a beacon to break through this nonsense. Me and my best friend leveling the playing field. My music has a message for a reason. It’s my story, your story, his story, her story, the story no one is telling. It’s a satellite to show the world we aren’t alone. Being an artist for me is more than glory, money, fame or even fun. It’s a quest. To touch lives, hearts, and bring hope. It’s the method to my madness.”

Stella di Rossi and her band Method to the Madness play Bisbee’s Gulf Brewery Circus show on September 1, followed by a show at East Tucson venue the Dive Bar on September 12. You can learn more about House of Rossi at thehouseofrossi.com.

The business of music "episode" one: Marianne Dissard

Lately, the biggest open secret in Tucson music circles is an ongoing conversation about what constitutes "fair pay" for live music. Since Tucson’s “music scene” isn’t a single, unified landscape with one type of band, venue or audience. And, that being the case, there are no simple answers to the question of how to make sure everyone gets fairly compensated. 

Here in Tucson, we’re often spoiled for live music options, with a typical weekend calendar offering dozens of live rock shows Downtown, DIY house shows all over the city, and a plethora of touring bands, tribute bands, blues bands, reggae, orchestral performances, jazz, mariachi, country, folk, funk all over town. Some shows are a spectacle, some a dance party, and some are just a pleasant brunch soundtrack. You can pay a $5 cover at a house show, a $50 concert ticket for a “name” touring act, or see a lot of shows for free, and while some venues make a healthy profit on drinks and food, others struggle to keep the lights on. Asking for a set amount for all musicians, regardless of venue would help some players and be affordable for some venues, but might not be feasible for others. Playing music and working side hustles for a living may be the only way to afford the time to pursue one’s musical passion for some, while for others the compromised creative control of playing to a venue’s demands or to an audience who doesn’t “get it” can be soul crushing. 

So what should musicians get paid in this town? Depends on who you ask, where they play, and why they play. And what should a tenacious local music reporter (who definitely does this work for love) do about it all? Ask (pretty much) everyone.

In the next couple of weeks, you'll be hearing from folks in all sectors of our local musicverse from veteran blues and jazz session players to DIY punk kids to metal bands, reggae bands, tribute bands, funk bands, folk bands, country bands...maybe even a mariachi or two if they're down to talk. 

The first of my many correspondents on the issue is technically not a Tucson musician these days, but certainly a familiar name around these parts - musician, filmmaker, and most recently, published memoirist Marianne Dissard.

TucsonSentinel.com: ”For anyone who doesn’t  already know your work, what bands and projects have you been part of as a musician? 

Marianne Dissard: “I sing and I produce albums under the name Marianne Dissard, until 2013 out of Tucson. I wrote lyrics for Amor Belhom Duo and (Gabriel) Naïm Amor, and sang 'Ballad Of Cable Hogue' with Joey Burns on Calexico's album Hot Rail. I came to Tucson in 1994 to make a film called ‘Drunken Bees' with Howe Gelb of Giant Sand. I’ve also directed and produced music videos for myself, Orkesta Mendoza, Naïm Amor and Amor Belhom Duo. I got a handful of Tucson musicians (Sergio Mendoza, Brian Lopez, Gabriel Sullivan, Andrew Collberg, Clay Koweek, Connor Gallaher, etc.) to tour Europe for the first time as my bandmates and made some choice introductions to labels and booking agents they ended up working with. I was tour manager (one of the silliest ideas I've ever had) and one of the four acts on the 2012 tour bus Tucson Tour for label LePop out of Germany. From England, where I live now, I still on occasion help finding gigs. Do come play Ramsgate if you make it across the Channel. It's a great harbour and we're thirsty for good gigs.

TS: Do you mostly play solo with accompaniment, as part of a consistent band or ensemble, or use "hired hands?" And how would you describe yourself genre-wise? 

MD: “I hire, or cajole, backup bands on a per-tour and per-album basis. Same thing with my composers. My genre, if I have one, is desert noir, Americana chanson, a hybrid of all-things Tucson and French but that's changing now that I live in England - seaside noir?”

TS: How did you get started in the music business and how did you make your first steps into the "business" side of it, vs. the idea of playing for the sake of playing.

MD: “I've never not been on the business side of it. I produced and directed films before turning my attention to music in 1995 when I met my soon-to-be-husband Naïm Amor. I was instrumental in managing his band, Amor Belhom Duo, getting them publicity and a record deal with Carrot Top Records in 1998, booking a lot of their North American gigs and getting them their first touring van. That shadow supporting role ended a few years later when I decided to step up from behind the 'man' to become a singer myself.”

“I've never been involved in music for the sake of it, so I can't relate to that debate. I don't 'jam', never learned to play any instruments. Even writing poetry, which I did for the sake of it in my teens and 20s, became a business, meaning I took it very, very seriously. When I started writing lyrics, first for Naïm Amor (a sly pathway to a budding romance) but also for Howe Gelb, Françoiz Breut, and Fredda, I used to go into Red Room at Grill (in the pre-internet era) every single morning to spend three to four hours writing lyrics. 

TS: Experiences outside of Tucson in terms of pay, venues, appreciative audiences and the like?

MD: “I've toured North America, Europe, China, Australia, New Zealand repeatedly from 2006 to 2017. My best audiences and best-paying gigs are still in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, what we call GAS in the business. As a touring musician, you need these steady markets, the ones that will make it possible to try lesser-paying routings. New Zealand was amazing, how quickly they embraced my music, from audiences to venues to music critics and media.” 

TS: Experiences in Tucson/Arizona regarding the same issues?

MD: “I started in Tucson by dragging guitarist Matt Mitchell through as many dives, weddings and retirement homes, French restaurants and Foothills backyards I could find as long as they paid for our French chanson gypsy guitar schtick. Where else but Tucson could I get paid to start from scratch as a singer, with no experience but a burning desire to get started?”

“I did that for one year, making money and learning to let go of the microphone after a couple of years, so terrified was I of being front and center. You get good when you have to compete with heartfelt Edith Piaf renditions against a saloon's massive TV screens broadcasting the latest X vs Y games.” 

TS: How can venues do better at compensating (and promoting) musicians while still meeting their overhead and staying afloat?

MD: “I don't know. Have a program in place where one band member can learn the sound board for a month, shadowing the engineer? That's a great thing to master, and you'll make headways in your career if you know from the inside the needs and habits of the live sound engineer. I did that for a bit at Solar Culture and Club Congress, just showed up and asked the sound guys - always guys, right, in Tucson, still? - if I could just tag along. Served me well later in Europe on tour. “

TS: How can musicians better support each other without hurting their own prospects?

MD: “I truly do believe in - and practice - open relationships. It's just easier in music, or should be. Love all your bandmates equally, share and spread the love. Ask nicely, incubate, support each other and be crazy about your metamours. And don't forget the little gifts for everyone at the end of whatever it is you're all doing together. I don't think I have a big ego, so it's been natural for me to do things like book a Tucson SXSW Official showcase in 2012 to give other bands the chance I was given.”

TS: What would you say to those who fall more on the "love" than "money" side of the musician spectrum? Is it possible to make a living or at least a decent side gig out of music without losing passion and originality?

MD: “I don't know if you can make a living out of music. I financed my first album with credit cards, my second by selling my first house. I financed my third by flipping over another house. I've been in the flipping business for over 20 years now and that has sustained my music career. Not that I haven't made money putting out music and touring. My first album sold over 10,000 physical copies and that many digital back in 2008 when you could still sell CDs, and got a 7.2 review from Pitchfork. It's just enough of a foothold that you can hope to keep going for another album or two. As for originality and passion? Well, if you're not scared shitless dreaming up the next thing, stay out of the business. It's not going to be worth the toil.” 

TS: Is it necessary to "pay ones' dues" in the music business still? How should newer players approach this? 

MD: “Yes, and I believe in paying one's dues as much as paying back, meaning what someone did for me when I began my career, I am now in the position to do for someone who is starting.

TS: When you last visited, did Tucson still seem like an "old boys" club for professional musicians?

MD: “It was when I was around, certainly in 1989 when I lived there for a bit, then certainly from 1994 onward. I suppose things were changing a bit when I left in 2013, disgusted mostly at myself for having failed to do anything about it. I waited until 2016 to set up a woman-only Europe tour with musicians Annie Dolan, Vicki Brown and Brittany Katter, a bit late in the game but well worth it, we had a splendid time on tour.”

“In November 2018, I was back in Tucson briefly and made it to EXO Bar for a tribute show organized by old pal Howe Gelb to honor Rainer Ptacek, the most angelic musician who ever graced this town during his too-brief life. An hour into the show, with musicians taking turns doing a couple of Rainer's songs each, I turned to a friend and said, 'is there gonna be a single woman on this stage tonight?'.”

“This is the context where I grew up as a musician from 1994 onward in Tucson. I looked up to me in bands, wrote for me, sang with them, fell in love with them, that was the order of the day. Guilty as I plead in perpetrating that imbalance, it served me well to a point. I can admit that it also caused me to spin off-balance and lose faith in Tucson as a place where I could be respected as a musician and producer. Case in point. The year I moved to France in 2013, I was asked to produce two albums there  and handsomely paid for it.” 

TS: Thanks for chiming in on these topics. Now a chance to shamelessly self promote! Tell us what's on the horizon for you lately.

MD: “Shamelessly self-promoting? I've already been doing that on questions 1 through 10, but hey, let's keep going!”

“I'm putting out my first book, a memoir called 'Not Me', which goes into some details about some of the topics above. The book dives fearlessly into what it means to be a touring musician, the toll taken by isolation and mental health issues which get compounded by a life on the road as a woman. Paperbacks are available at Antigone Books, and I will be in Tucson right after the Gem Show for some readings and possibly a show. I'm also bringing with me some friends from England, a duo called Lunatraktors whose music I've fallen in love with. Look out for some local gigs by them. I'm working on my first covers album at the moment and I'll be on tour in the winter with French band The Inspector Cluzo after going to Nashville to record a duet with them at Vance Powell's studio. The tracklisting is a riot.”

Marianne Dissard’s latest project is the memoir Not Me, available at Antigone Books in Tucson or at www.mariannedissard.com

Also happening this week...

The biggest news in local music this week is the long time Tucson Labor Day tradition that is HoCo Fest. From its origins as a one off anniversary party for Hotel Congress - and local music reunion, the festival has grown into a multi day, multi venue mega event reaching far beyond the Hotel grounds and, like it or loathe it, it's probably coming to your favorite venue late this week and into next weekend. In addition to the official, ticketed events at Club Congress, Rialto and 191 Toole, this year's HoCo Fest is partnering with a number of local venues including Che's Lounge, Wooden Tooth Records, Hotel McCoy, Owl's Club, R Bar, Exo, Boxyard and Thunder Canyon to include some of this weekend's regularly scheduled live gigs as parts of the greater festival while still allowing regulars to check out those shows without ponying up for a full festival ticket. 

More next week on the phenomenon that is music festival "culture" as well as more tales of the money side of the music biz. Till then, get out and see a show - it's good for your soul. 

Check your local listings...

Each week this column compiles a choice selection of live gigs in and around Tucson with the help of good venue and band event announcements and other resources. If you've got a gig coming up and you'd like your event listed in this space (or if your local band has a major announcement or a new release) drop me a line at arts@tucsonsentinel.com. Or message me on Facebook (juliejenningspatterson) or Instagram (@spitegeist).

Monday, August 26

Tuesday, August 27

Wednesday, August 28

Thursday, August 29

Friday August 30