June, 2003.

"Lorelei, congratulations!" Richard beamed as he handed me my luthier's certificate on the last day of school. "You made it!"

"Thanks," I sighed. "Where's my 'I survived Juan-Roberto' t-shirt?"

He laughed. I said my good-byes and gathered up my tools and guitars.

I drove home in the Arizona summer, hardly believing it. Me, a guitar maker, after all the turmoil and change! And that was one tough course, too! Friends and family called my career change "frivolous". They had NO idea how much hard work, both mental and physical, being a luthier requires!

I had applied for a job at a couple of the local music stores, as well as with Fender, and had a few days off before the interviews.

That evening, as I sat down to the TV, the phone rang. I picked up. "Hello?" It was my friend Joe from school. He was an instructor there, and had taught us the ins and outs of being a guitar tech. Guitar techs tour with bands and are the ones who take care of the guitars.

"Hey, Lorelei, congrats!"

"Thanks! I can't believe it! Now I've gotta meet some women luthiers. I can't be the only one!" I laughed.

Breathlessly, he said, "You're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you!"

"What's up?" I asked.

"Well", said Joe, "I know you know Elysia is touring next month. I just found out who's sharing the bill with them! You're gonna die, Ms D'Oro!"

My mouth dropped open at "Ms D'Oro". "Naw! What? C'mon! Really?" I couldn't bring myself to actually say aloud "Is Voz D'Oro touring with Elysia?" It was too surreal.

But Joe laughed. "I told you you'd die! Hey, there's more! They're looking for two guitar techs: a head and an assistant! I'm going for the head tech. Wanna be my assistant?"

This was all going too fast. First I had to grasp the concept that Voz had finally picked a tour date. Then, I had to grasp that he was touring with Elysia, and then..."Meeeee?" I gasped. "Me, a guitar tech for Elysia and Voz? Meeee?"

"You bet! It'd be perfect! You're my best student! I could just keep teaching you what I was teaching you at school. C'mon! Go for it!!"

"Well, uh, how do I apply for the job?"

"I already gave Elysia management your phone number. They're gonna call you."

"Oh, God, Joe! This is a dream!"

The next morning, the phone rang. Joe again. He got the job! An hour later, the phone rang again. "Hello?"

"Ms Einhorn?" asked a male voice.

"Yes?"

"This is the tour manager for the Elysia-D'Oro tour. We've hired Joe Allan as our head guitar tech, and he recommended you very highly for the assistant tech position. You'd be working very closely with him. Would you be interested in the job?"

Suffice to say, I said words to the effect of "Damn straight, I would!", and a couple of weeks later, Joe and I were flying over Camelback Mountain, on our way to LA to hook up with the first leg of the Elysia-D'Oro tour.