When Mandy Gasparich was 19, she and a friend took off for California.

Since then, she has owned a restaurant, earned a massage therapist degree, worked as a nanny and joined a band that toured 16 countries through Armed Forces Entertainment.

She's now 28.

Her latest is writing, performing and producing music she describes as pop-based urban dance. The day after Christmas, Miz Mandy's second CD, "In the Mix" played in the background as she talked about her life and times. The CD shared the coffee table in the living room of her family's sunny Fairview Heights home with a photo of Mandy in Liquid Blue, a pop music band.

SB - Tell us about some back stage experiences.
MM - Back in the day my dressing room was a bathroom/janitors closet and every time we played this particular venue...the same two huge cockroaches were belly up on the floor, looking at me. I actually became quite fond of them, we're still friends!

SB - And on stage?
MM - Oh yeah, and stage diving!

SB - Really?
MM - OOOOHHHhhh Yeah, but you learn quickly that there is only one way to go!