If you were to ask William Clark Green what he does for a living, chances are he would humbly tell you he is one of the luckiest musicians in Lubbock. That's how the 22-year-old Texas Tech student would identify himself first, then he might tell you he is an agricultural economics major.
And he truly is lucky.
"I started writing music in eighth grade," Green said Saturday night at Blue Light in the Depot District. "I started taking it seriously in high school and I've been writing my ass off since. I've been playing music in Lubbock for five years now. I'm not the best but I definitely work very hard at what I do."
Originally from Flint, a small town outside Tyler with a population of 2,000 and growing, Green entered a whole new world of music when he moved to Lubbock.
Green recently exploded onto the Texas country music scene after five years of hard work and dedication to his craft, even taking the main stage at the 2008 Lubbock Music Festival - though his rising popularity is partially due to some amazing opportunities that have just recently started coming his way.
I am talking, of course, about the band behind the young singer/songwriter.
Lets be honest: Green, however talented he may be, still has many years of experience to gain before he can really break into the game big time and pull out that little something extra needed to make it in the music industry. With the help of Drew Hurt on drums, Joel Smith on bass guitar and Lubbock's own guitar legend Brian McRae on lead guitar (though it could be said that McRae is one of Lubbock's best-kept secrets) he has now been given a chance to grow and learn, a chance few ever get.
"It's a dream come true," he said. "These are the greatest musicians in Lubbock. I'm so honored to have them around."
"You can tell Brian is a musician for hire," said Philip Coggins, a local musician and Lubbock native after witnessing McRae nearly steal the show out from under Green's feet. "You can hear the years of experience in his playing."
But what motivated these seasoned veterans to give this young musician a chance?
"He's a good kid," McRae said after Satuday's show. "He's young and he just needs experience."
"I think Brian realized that this wasn't just an amateur deal," Green replied. "I think it was shown to him that this isn't just an I-love-Texas thing, this is an I-love-songwriting thing."
As long as Lubbock's best continue to back him, Green undoubtedly will grow as a singer/songwriter in the coming months as he gains the experience he needs.
I am fearful, however, that - considering Green's particular style of music - if Green doesn't find that little something extra, he could alienate himself from playing at bars like Bar PM or Rocky LaRues's. These are the venues that tend to cater to the expanding, edgier collegiate crowd.
To William Clark Green I say this: Reach deep down inside during the coming months and draw from the people around you. They have the experience, and you have what it takes.
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