Maryland EMT Finds Music a Good Prescription

Dec. 07--One of Lyndi D'Amico's first experiences on stage -- a question-and-answer session and a speech 14 years ago at the Frederick County Miss Fire Prevention competition -- was hardly a smashing success.

"I went to the one-on-one interview, killed it," said D'Amico, 32, a lifelong Brunswick resident. "I got up on stage, they called my name and pulled my question. I think I answered it in under 10 seconds, and nobody understood a word I said.

"Then, you're supposed to give this pretty speech about why you think you should be Miss Fire Prevention. I think that lasted less than 30 seconds, and nobody understood a word I said."

That experience, along with some unkind words from a voice teacher years earlier, soured her on the idea of ever speaking or performing before a crowd of people again, D'Amico said. "I was like, 'Nope, I'm done with the stage.'"

That would seem to make D'Amico -- who works as a preceptor, prescription manager and patient care technician at DaVita Dialysis in Frederick -- the unlikeliest of candidates to front her own rock band. But as the singer of Colday in Hell -- a group of adult students at the Frederick Rock School -- with a half dozen performances under her belt, D'Amico said her stage fright is a thing of the past.

D'Amico visited the school in February, looking for a band to play an event for the Brunswick Volunteer Fire Department, where she has served as recording secretary for the past 12 years. She then decided to take a voice lesson at the urging of husband Danny D'Amico. He had always been impressed with her singing voice and for years had encouraged her to take lessons. It didn't take long for that to translate into a spot in Colday in Hell, one of six adult bands at the school.

"Two days later, (Frederick Rock School owner Scott Marceron) calls Danny and is like, 'She's in a band -- she starts Tuesday,'" Lyndi D'Amico said. "He knew not to call me, because I probably would have hung up on him."

"I told him, 'I need to tell you that she has extreme stage fright,'" Danny D'Amico said. "He goes, 'Don't worry about it; we'll work on that.'"

She was so scared she almost refused to go on stage for her first performance, only agreeing with Danny's encouragement, Lyndi said. But after sucking it up and making it through the first show, she is now having the time of her life.

"We just jam it out on Tuesday nights and then play our shows," she said. "I'm more comfortable. I play with the crowd now."

Danny enjoys his role as roadie, videographer and photographer, as well as Colday in Hell's biggest fan. "I'm with the band," he joked.

Lyndi, who wears a number of hats at the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance Co., including emergency medical technician and rescue tech, said her line of work can be depressing. Thirteen of her patients, who she gets to know and care for on a personal level, have died this year. After overcoming her fears, performing has become a way to let her hair down and get her mind off her everyday worries, she said.

"With my job here, the firehouse, the ambulance company, I see some stuff," she said. "Finally, this has become my release. I get up there, wail on that microphone and pray that it comes out all right.

"We're not looking to get famous or anything like that. We're looking to just continue having fun. And I'm telling you what, we have some fun."

Know of a person who would make a good Slice? If so, please send your suggestions to citydesk@newspost.com or call us at 301-662-1178 and ask for a city editor.

Copyright 2012 - The Frederick News-Post, Md.