The weekend of March 25-27, 2022, was a memorable one for me. My first album hit the public on the 25th, we held an album release concert on the 26th, and a Mountain Stage appearance originally scheduled for March 2020 came to fruition.
I deal in words—lyrics—and while I think I’m pretty good with them at times, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to adequately express my gratitude for the musical opportunities that have lined up and unfolded for me over the past few years. A passion that I’ve had since childhood is blossoming in a way I could not have imagined. No, I’ve not won any big awards for my songs. No, I’m not famous. Yes, I still work at, and am thankful for, my day job. Nothing has changed on those fronts.
What has changed, however, is that these creations—these songs—these little vignettes—have been beautifully recorded and are connecting me with people from a variety of walks of life, and across a wide expanse of the globe. They are getting air play in places like California, Alaska, New Mexico, New York, Alabama, Florida, Minnesota, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Oregon, Maryland, and right here in West Virginia. Heck, they are being played in Ireland and New Zealand.
Music critics are giving a deep listen to the entire album and spreading the message that this project is worth the listener’s time. It has been likened to a well-loved vinyl album...something the listener will to listen to over and over, while poring over the liner notes, lyrics, and musician credits.
I’ve tried hard to hone this art and craft of songwriting. I’ve analyzed songs I admire to see if I can get at the magic behind a certain set of lyrics. That’s what songwriters do. They look for new ways to tell old stories. They look for ways to make multiple points with few words. They look for ways to have listeners hanging on every line. Sometimes we are fortunate to pull that off, other times not so much. We toss ten songs for every one we keep. But we keep on—driven, really...it is not like we have much choice. An idea gets in our heads and we won’t rest until we’ve gotten some type of lyric out of it...a keeper or a tosser...something...anything.
I love connecting with people and my songs help me do that. Without the people, however, there is no connection. Without a lot of people, this album project would have never happened. Please—if I ever seem to forget that, give me a good kick in the pants, would you?
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