Michelle Garcia
By Pamela DeGroff
Michelle Garcia is an artist I encountered on the TG Music Society Compilation #1. Her tune, “El Gato Negro” is an amazing jazz instrumental that only shows a little of what she’s capable of. She graciously consented to an interview for Perpetual Change, and it’s an honor to introduce such a fine artist to a wider audience. She’s someone who will be around for a long time.
TGForum: Could you give us a little general background ... where are you from originally? Any formal musical training?
Michelle: I’m from the planet Earth... although my mother tells me differently. I never had any musical training, but I’ve been teaching guitar lesson since 1975. My main musical influence is the drum. The very first beat ever created was from the human heart. The human heart was the first drum. Otherwise, I grew up hearing my dad play Latin jazz on the sax in the bathroom, because my Mom couldn’t stand to listen to it in other parts of the house.
TGForum: Your band, The Cornerstone, did an album in 1970. What was the name of the album and is it still available?
Michelle: We were asked to sign with Elektra Records around 1968, and produced by Fraiser Mohawk. He was the same producer for a group call Rhinoceros, which featured a variety of stars in the band, including Buddy Miles. Jackson Brown was shopping labels then and used some members of Cornerstone for a demo.
TGForum: What was the band with Katie Sagal and Richard Elliot?
Michelle: Katie Sagal and I recorded my first solo album in the studio together in the early 19708. I pitched the album to Village Recorders in West Los Angeles. Richard Elliot was the sax player in my 7 piece Latin jazz band, Turtle Head. That band featured a variety of musicians who were already playing for signed acts. .
TGForum: What work did you do with Danny Elfman?
Michelle: I played a small role in Rick Elfman’s cult classic movie, ‘The Forbidden Zone.” Rick was also a great conga player and I got Rick and Danny in the studio together on a couple of my originals. later, Danny asked me to fill in on bass for his band Oingo Boingo, and we played a few Bar Mitzvahs together... me on guitar and he played violin.
TGForum: You’ve recorded two albums, “Spanish Traveler” (instrumental), and “Translucent,” correct? Who two separate projects, one vocal and one instrumental? Do you consider yourself primarily a vocalist or an instrumentalist, or does it matter?
Michelle: My dad played Latin jazz for years, and I love instrumentals, but I cut my teeth playing British rock and folk music. So the singer-songwriter thing has been in my life pretty much. However, after I transitioned in 1995, I was unsure of myself as an artist. I didn’t know how to sing like a girl, so I avoided the issue by turning out an instrumental project, “Spanish Traveler,” as my first album as a woman. That year, I was crowned Miss Transgender San Francisco 2000.
TGForum: Do you currently have a band or are you playing solo?
Michelle: Currently I am working with my all LGBT band. There’s a wonderful mixture of great queer musicians in the band. Currently, the band is represented on my third and soon to be released album “San Francisco Queers.” Occasionally, I will also work as a solo artist doing those singer-songwriter tunes when the job doesn’t call for a full band.
TGForum: Plan to do any more film work after “Some Reasons For Living”? Any plans to release this on DVD or have a general release of the film?
Michelle: “Some Reasons For Living” was produced by Harjant Gill and Jessie Cortez. It played at many of the LGBT film festivals in the states and in Melbourne, Australia. I starred along with my adopted trans sister Christian Sanz-Rodriquez in this anti-hate crime film which covered the Gwen Araujo story in 2002. As I understand this was recently signed to a major distribution deal throughout Europe. A film called ‘The Believers” about the world’s first transgender choir was released summer of 2006. I had been a member of the Transcendence Gospel Choir for two years and had been featured along with other members of the choir.
TGForum: When did you first become aware of being transgender?
Michelle: At the age of 3 years old, I knew I was different, but didn’t know why. When I was five, I remember over hearing my mother telling relatives and friends that she named me Michelle because her and my dad wanted their second born to be a girl. They got their wish—it was just a little late. The first time I cross dressed I was 8, and the first time I went out as a girl I was 13. By the time I was 17, I was totally confused what to do about being trans and got some help at the Los Angeles Gay Center in 1967.
TGForum: Has being trans influenced or affected you musically, and if so, how?
Michelle: Yes, of course. As I mentioned, I had trouble changing from a male voice to female. When I realized I could do it, I started refining my technique. Although I don’t sound like Britney Spears, I do sound like me.
TGForum: You’re very involved with the local trans community, right? Do you consider yourself political, or an activist?
Michelle: Both. Currently, I volunteer for Spectrum, the LGBT organization in Marin County. I’m part of the speakers bureau, and we do outreach for middle schools, high schools, universities, and nonprofit organizations. In the past, I had also been actively involved as the Senior Health Educator for the UCSF/TRANS project.
TGForum: What advice would you give to other musicians, trans or not?
Michelle: Listen to your heart, remember it begins with the first beat. Music lives in every part of life. It’s up to the musicians to interpret the sounds of life.
TGForum: If you had one thing to say to the transgender community, what would it be?
Michelle: Be yourself, know yourself, love yourself.
TGForum: ‘What was it like to be involved with the Gwen Araujo memorial?
Michelle: There were over 400 supporters and demonstrators, as they marched down Market Street and headed to Harvey Milk Square under the rainbow flag in the Castro District. I performed for the crowd, a song I wrote called “Got A Reason To Live,” which was the Inspiration for the title of the film, “Some Reasons For Living.” Performing for the march inspired me to write “Like A Lullaby.”
TGForum: Does being of Spanish-Latin background have any implications as far as being trans is concerned? How does the Latin community accept trans people?
Michelle: Well, I guess I rate as double minority status, however this small group is represented throughout the Bay Area. When I was program director for the Mission Council in San Francisco’s Mission District, I counseled a few Latina trans women. I was amazed at the tenacity of these women as they battled immigration, poverty, drugs, and acceptability.
TGForum: Are you still active in radio?
Michelle: My radio days were from 1985 to 1995. My best job was when I was employed by the Warm Springs Indian Tribes at KWSO and KWSI as music and production director. My last job was in Bend, OR, in 1995. I was the morning OJ for KNLR, the largest Christian station in the Pacific Northwest. As I understand my boss had a hard time living down the fact that he had employed a real transsexual and didn’t know it.
TGForum: Anything you’d like to say in closing I might not have asked?
Michelle: Trans artists are growing in popularity, and I encourage everyone to listen to these artists and recognize their important contributions to modem music.
Author’s Note: Michelle Garcia can be contacted at jazzedonrock@yahoo.con.
