I write and play music to make you feel…

… and I believe it is something I was made to do.

Music makes me feel energized.  Alive.  Passionate.   I feel most comfortable when I am performing.   When I am sharing my soul through music.   I think it is wrong to value only the technical skill or bombastic virtuosity of a musician. Did they make you feel? I believe my job as a musician is to observe life in all its extraordinary greatness and awful injustice—and translate those emotions into melody. And then to share that with you.

In the past I asked myself and those around me “why was I made this way?  Why do I feel this way?” And more importantly, “what do I do with it?”  It has taken me a long time to feel comfortable in my own skin.   To accept that this gift is important and meaningful both to me and to others. 

 The first time I vividly remember this enigmatic feeling was as an 18 year-old.  I was standing backstage waiting to perform the lush Intermezzo in F minor (from Op. 2 No 3) for piano by Hungarian composer, Ernst von Dohnanyi.   Every detail before walking on that stage is seared in my mind.   Dark lighting.   Heart-pounding.   FEAR.   Breathing in and out.  Waiting.   Then walking out to applause.   Ethereal.  Equal parts adrenaline, terror, and utter elation.   Lights.   Silence.

 And in that moment of complete quiet before I struck the first note, I knew.   I knew that I was about to communicate with every person in that room.  I had the chance to engage with perfect strangers.  I had the opportunity to meet someone in the music and reach them on a deeper level.  I’ll never forget it. 

Be who you already are

I came across this phrase once and I cannot get it out of my mind. I pondered it over and over. Who am I? Do I even know? How can I be who I already am?

Maybe you find yourself in the same boat.

I have had an undercurrent pushing me toward music ever since I experienced that unforgettable moment as a young 18 year old. If you’ve ever been swimming in the ocean and experienced this powerful feeling, you know how scary it can be. Experts say that the best thing to do is to swim with it, not against it. You must trust that eventually you will be led back to shore.

I’m swimming with that powerful current. I hope that you are, too.

music that makes you feel and other mysteries

I asked a friend to describe my music. He said “the single most memorable thing about you as an artist is your expressiveness. You turn emotion into melody.” Another said, “your music makes me cry.”

I don’t understand how the power of music can make people get up and dance and make them cry. It’s a mystery.

I hope that when I share my music, it will meet you in the place you need it to. Perhaps you are looking for a mental vacation….a minute or ten where you can escape into your own mind and thoughts and away from pressing realities. Perhaps you need cathartic release. Whatever it may be, I feel it is an honor to join you there.