By Kyle Jorrey
Sports Editor
I, rebel music
I, rebel music
Why can’t we roam this open country
Oh why can’t we be what we want to be
We want to be free.
When the legendary poet and musician Bob Marley wrote the above lyrics in his song, “Rebel Music,” he might as well have been talking about Pepperdine senior Jeff May.
Aside from the most obvious similarity between May and the reggae icon — his matted dreadlocks — the two share something far deeper in common: a rebel spirit and a desire to express this feeling in the form of music.
Since he first arrived at Pepperdine from a small town in the aspen-covered mountains of Vermont, May has set himself apart from the rest of the crowd. Whether it’s his unavoidable knack for speaking about the unspeakable or just his laid-back, nature-loving attitude, the creative writing major is an interesting conversationalist, to say the least.
To get an idea of just what an existentialist he really is, last summer, when other Pepperdiners where settling in their cushy, summer internships, May was sweating it out as a ranch hand in central Idaho, putting up a fence and fixing farm equipment.
Fun? To him, yes. To the rest of us, maybe not.
But being different from the rest, being a rebel, is just what this fresh Pepperdine cat is all about.
First off, I have to ask about the hair… when did that all get started?
In November of 2001, I guess I just decided I wanted to do it. It took some effort … I haven’t had a hair cut in three years, plus my parents never approved of it. They didn’t like the connotations that went with having dreadlocks, but I was too far away from home to care.
So what’s the upkeep like?
Well, I wash my hair every two or three days, and for the record, I don’t have lice. But when I do cut it off I think I might become a professional janitor and use my own dread-mop (laughs loudly to himself).
You’re originally from Vermont. Isn’t that backwoods country?
Yeah (laughing), I guess it is. But it was an ideal place to grow up. I grew up in a town called Underhill Center. It was at the base of the mountain, so it had all the real seasons and a little bit of everything to do.
I know you’re really into music. Tell me what instruments you play?
Guitar. Mandolin. Trumpet. Anything percussion.
Have you ever been in a band of your own?
I never headlined my own project, but I’ve definitely sat in with a lot of bands … I am casting the all-star lineup in my head from cats I’ve met on the road. I already have the members for essential funk band and jazz band.
So, do you have any post-Pepperdine music plans?
Heck, yeah. I’d like to create this traveling circus, where the festival centers around music but also on the community. The audience can come and get educated on environment and social issues, and listen to good music. There would be free waters and showers; cheap food, and dogs and glass containers will be allowed (laughs, yet again).
I foresee a majority of Pepperdine students who will cash in their diplomas to buy a Volkswagen bus and follow us around.
Maybe as a Vermont native you can explain to me this whole “Phish” obsession?
I’ve been to a few Phish shows. To be quite honest, it’s about the drugs, sex and rock ‘n’ roll, basically the whole freedom of expression thing. Phish doesn’t only play music, but they tell a story. In those three and a half hours they evoke emotions. Some beats just give you goose bumps, and sometime you almost cry cause melodies are so sweet and slow.
And finally, I have to ask: I caught you one day on campus, on a weekday, with no shirt, no shoes, and no backpack. What’s the deal?
When I’m paying $33,000 a year I better well be able to sit around and appreciate good weather. I think an academic environment needs to be an enjoyable one. They need to go hand in hand. If people can’t get beyond pettiness of material possession, specifically clothing, then what’s the point?
September 25, 2003