Macyn Taylor profile picture

Macyn Taylor

When life looks like Easy Street..................

About Me

My musical journey began with my Brownie troop when I was seven years old. My troop was going to have a talent show at a local nursing home. I said to my dad, who was co-leader of the troop, “Dad, I don’t have a talent”. He told me that we had an old guitar at home and he would show me a few chords so that I could sing a couple of Christmas carols. After the show, as we were all leaving, the activities director told my dad and me that she enjoyed my performance and asked if I would come back again sometime. My dad said the troop would be happy to come back again the next year, but that, if she would like, I could come back the next month and do a whole show for them by myself. I panicked, grabbing my dad’s arm and saying, “Dad, I can only play two songs”. He assured me that I learned the two songs so fast that I could easily learn twenty by the next month. He was right. We went to a different retirement home each week to develop my confidence. Then for St. Patrick’s Day, I learned some Irish songs and sang at some Irish pubs. From there I began playing, churches, festivals, farmer’s markets, coffee shops, fund raisers, charity events, memorial dedications, or any other place that we could find. I really enjoyed it. I was always telling my dad to find me more gigs. I started playing on the sidewalk after we took my sister to school in Madison. I saw the street musicians on State Street and asked my parents if I could give it a try. The next time we took my sister to school, I went out on State Street with a mandolin and a coffee can under the watchful eye of my brother. I actually made some money. That was also how the nickname “Sidewalk Superstar” got attached to me. From then on, whenever we would visit my sister, I would bring a banjo or guitar and play for a while on State Street. Then I got a gig playing on the UW Student Union Terrace Saturday evenings during the summers. A professor of music became interested in my performances, and suggested that I attend classes at the university. I was too young to live in Madison by myself and my sister lived in a sorority house, so I couldn’t stay with her. We decided that I would enroll at UW Milwaukee. It is within commuting distance of my house and has the only finger-style guitar major available in the world. This educational opportunity has allowed me to meet some of the top finger-style players in the world and has markedly improved my skills and technique. I am continuing my education at UWM and performing publicly every chance I get. I hope to see you at one of my shows.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 6/4/2006
Sounds Like: Dixieland Delight(Alabama) Blackbird(Beatles) Here Comes the Sun(Beatles) I've Just Seen a Face(Beatles) Cant Buy Me Love(Beatles) Margaritaville(Jimmy Buffet) Higher Ground-(Carter Family) Something Got A Hold Of Me-(Carter Family) Therell Be Joy, Joy, joy-(Carter Family) Wildwood Flower(Carter Family) Youre Gonna Make Me Lonesome(Shawn Colvin) Freight Train(Elizabeth Cotton) Shake Sugaree(Elizabeth Cotton) Long Time Gone(Dixie Chicks) Travelin' Soldier-(Dixie Chicks) Strong Enough(Sheryl Crow) Dont Think Twice Its All Right(Bob Dylan) I Shall be Released(Bob Dylan) Mr. Tambourine Man(Bob Dylan) Song To Woody(Bob Dylan) Times They are a-Changin(Bob Dylan) City of New Orleans(Steve Goodman) Souvenirs(Steve Goodman) Friend of the Devil(Grateful Dead) Ripple(Grateful Dead) Touch of Grey(Grateful Dead) She(Green Day) God Bless the USA(Lee Greenwood) Why, Oh Why(Woodie Guthrie) Oh Boy(Buddy Holly) Needed Time(Lightnin Hopkins) Richland Woman Blues(Mississippi John Hurt) Love in Vain(Robert Johnson) Sweet Home Chicago(Robert Johnson) Heaven's Just a Sin Away-(Kendalls) Sugar Babe(Mance Lipscomb) Brown Eyed Girl(Van Morrison) Crazy(Willie Nelson) On the Road Again(Willie Nelson) Dear Abby(John Prine) Fish and Whistle(John Prine) Flag Decal(John Prine) Flashback Blues(John Prine) Hello In There(John Prine) Illegal Smile(John Prine) Long Monday(John Prine) Paradise(John Prine) Please Dont Bury Me(John Prine) The Cannonball(Leslie Riddle) T for Texas(Jimmie Rodgers) Dead Flowers(Rolling Stones) Prodigal Son(Rolling Stones) American Tune(Paul Simon) The Boxer(Paul Simon) Mother and Child Reunion(Paul Simon) Mrs. Robinson(Paul Simon) My Boyfriends Dead(Vandals/Macyn) Life by the Drop(Stevie Ray Vaughan) I Cant Help It If Im Still In Love With You(Hank Williams) Im So Lonesome I could Cry(Hank Williams) Lovesick Blues(Hank Williams) San Antonio Rose(Bob Wills) Angel Band(Stanley Brothers) Just a Closer Walk with Thee(Hymnn) Leaning on the Everlasting Arms-(Hymnn) Coney Island Cakewalk—(Richard Sastow) Digitalia—(Preston Reed) Fisherman-(Leo Kottke) In Christ There Is No East or West-(John Fahey) Last Steam Engine Train-(John Fahey) Foxglove—(Bruce Cockburn) Living in the Country—(Pete Seeger) Little Martha--(Leo Kottke) Manu Kai--(Keola Beamer) One Way Gal–(William Moore) Punahele--(Ray Kane) Sleepytime-(Alex de Grassi) Spanish Two-step–(John Fahey) Sunflower River Blues--(John Fahey) Vaseline Machine Gun--(Leo Kottke) Down To The River To Pray-(a capella) A Nation Once Again(Irish) Danny Boy(Irish) Fare Thee Well Enniskillen(Irish) Fields of Athenry(Irish) Finnegans Wake(Irish) Johnny McGory(Irish) Jug of Punch(Irish) Juice of the Barley(Irish) Leaving of Liverpool(Irish) Rising of the Moon(Irish) The Scottsman(Irish) Star of County Down(Irish) Wearing of the Green(Irish) When Irish Eyes are Smiling(Irish) Long Black Veil(Joan Baez) Ill Fly Away(Albert E. Brumley) Faded Coat of Blue(Carter Family) John Hardy(Carter Family) Keep on the Sunny Side(Carter Family) Therell Be Joy, Joy, Joy-(Carter Family) Will The Circle Be Unbroken(Johnny Cash) You Are My Sunshine(Jimmie Davis) Goodbye Earl(Dixie Chicks) Long Time Gone(Dixie Chicks) Blowin in the Wind(Bob Dylan) Jamaica Farewell(Harry Belafonte) Pack Up Your Sorrows(Richard Farina) So Long, It's Been Good to Know You(Woodie Guthrie) This Land is Your Land(Woodie Guthrie) Goodnight Irene(Leadbelly) Midnight Special(Leadbelly) Thats What You Get For Lovin Me(Gordon Lightfoot) Train Train(Macyn) Willie Po Boy(Mance Lipscomb) Blue Moon of Kentucky(Bill Monroe) Wicked Path Of Sin-(Bill Monroe) Some of these days(Charlie Patton) If I Had a Hammer(Peter, Paul, and Mary) Poncho & Lefty(Townes VanZant) In The Sweet Bye and Bye(J. P. Webster) Im Going Home-(Hank Williams) I Saw the Light(Hank Williams) Jambalaya(Hank Williams) Jesus Remembered Me-(Hank Williams) Long Gone Lonesome Blues(Hank Williams) All For Me Grog(Irish) Black Velvet Band(Irish) Bog Down in the Valley(Irish) God Save Ireland(Irish) Irish Rover(Irish) Merry Ploughboy(Irish) Minstrel Boy(Irish) Spanish Lady-(Irish) Whiskey in the Jar(Irish) Whiskey Youre the Devil(Irish) Wild Rover(Irish)
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Press Comments

'Superstar' In the Making Madison Magazine June 2006   To watch and hear Macyn sing and play is to have your eyes and ears pleasantly disconnected. What you see is: little girl with big guitar or...
Posted by Macyn Taylor on Mon, 19 Jun 2006 08:27:00 PST

My favorite guitar (with audio clips)

Bruce and, his son, Matt Petros operate a small guitar building shop in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. They certainly rank among the best luthiers in the world. The guitars they build are light years ahead of a...
Posted by Macyn Taylor on Tue, 26 Jun 2007 06:48:00 PST

Video Clip

try: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSVyCcGDNbQ or: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=GuitarStudentsAtUWM...
Posted by Macyn Taylor on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 02:07:00 PST