Leland Thomas Faegre

For the most part a bookworm prior to the British Invasion of 1964, by the end of that year he was smitten by the Beatles and had acquired and mastered the drum kit made possible by the determination of his mother, Dorothy. He assembled some schoolmates who could play and his first band was incarnated as 'Phenomenal Phluke'; a name that still makes him smile ear to ear.

Faegre acquired quite a neighborhood notoriety for playing a fifteen-minute version of the Surfaris 'Wipeout,' the forerunner to 'Ina Gadda Da Vida,' and until 1968 his accomplishment as a drummer of local repute was sufficiently established. But by the Summer of '68, as the Beatles 'Hey Jude' was bulleting up the charts, a neighbors' piano and an acoustic guitar purchased with blue chip stamps with strings nearly one half inch of the fret board would thoroughly occupy his waking hours. Remembering the strings that cut through his fingertips, he nonetheless persevered from the love of the sound of the chords--especially G major, and began to develop his skills by emulating the best of that era such as CSNY, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and of course, The Beatles.

Following his acquisition of guitar and piano skills, his reputation for playing became more widely known and respected as he developed and assembled as many various musicians as he could find for fun and profit. Performing for dances and weddings was fun he recalls, but his most passionate interest became his compositional quest that developed in earnest as he left high school.

Prior to the discovery that going to college was getting in the way of his education, he attended Mt. San Antonio and Rio Hondo junior colleges. Whereas curricula at both institutions were authored by establishmentarians of the socialist stripe, and teaching music was never his intention, his career choices of International Relations and Music became impossible to attain. He made a constructive nuisance of himself by first challenging, and subsequently embarrassing faculty and administration alike, and was shown the exit.

Career

Forced to pursue an independent career path, he benefited enormously from that choice, pursuing music and political science alternately as opportunities availed themselves.

In 1982 and 83, and after touring with musical ensembles in various roles, Faegre managed two congressional campaigns in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. The former resulting in the now famous "Shut Up!" exchange from then President Reagan to Santa Cruz Republican Gary Richard Arnold and seen by as many as 900 million people around the globe.

In 1984, Faegre began to devote more attention to his musical compositions and spending more time recording his work. After moving to Europe in June, 1986, Faegre married Theresa Bridget Sweeney in Dublin, Ireland, returning to the U.S. in January 1987.

At the end of the decade, anxious to again offer knowledge for the benefit of others, he pursued a career in financial service with what is known now as the CitiGroup.

Part of the Landscape TV family, and heard by over 2 million listeners through the internet and a hugely popular satellite station on British Sky Channel 0155, he is published by Bonanza Music, Platinum Music, Pump Audio, Down to Hear Productions and under contract with Pinnacles Records in partnership with Pinnacles Entertainment Network in a multi-CD arrangement. Faegre offers political insight, campaign information and his musical compositions from http://www.ontopofacloud.com, The Intelligent Internet Portal.

Theresa is employed by General Electric. They have a fourteen year-old daughter; ASCAP singer/songwriter/figureskater/gymnast, Deirdre Leah, renown for her 'Cartwheel Heard 'Round the World.'