Poetry Contest
Do you write poetry or short stories? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to hear your work set to music? One of my favorite ways to process inspiring work is to rework it into a song. I do this with books, movies, and even other songs or albums. I also love collaborating or co-writing with people. I love how two different minds can process the same events in similar and different ways. Every once in awhile, a poetry friend will share with me a bit of what they have
The Fall (Song Story)
I wrote this song four years ago when I was at a study program in Nashville called the Contemporary Music Center. It is one of my favorite songs to play solo as well as with a band. It is not very musically complicated but I feel that it can translate well in different contexts. The main inspiration for this song is a movie called The Mission, starring Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons. The story takes place in 18th century South America and focuses on the efforts of a Jesuit
Inspiration: Pedro the Lion - Priests and Paramedics
I'm a little late to the Pedro the Lion game. I never really listened to any of it until a few months ago, but ever since then, I've been loving it. I love how it is rough around the edges (i.e. not super clean-cut, his voice isn't conventionally awesome) and there is very little going on with different textures (it is pretty much just guitar, bass, and drums). His guitar voicings are different than anyone else I've listened to but definitely create a unique sound. Control is
Inspiration: Regina Spektor - No Surprises (Cover)
No Surprises has always been one of my favorite Radiohead songs, but for some reason I've always felt that it would sound better sung by someone other than Thom Yorke. It's an incredible song and Thom is one of my favorite artists of all time, but I felt like it belonged to someone else. I have never been a huge Regina Spektor fan. I never really gave her a chance due to the absurd number of poor-quality copycats that I have heard since she became big. I love it when people f
Album of the Month: Wake Up!
This month I have been raving over Wake Up! by John Legend and the Roots. A couple years ago I got into John Legend when I checked out his album Love in the Future. What a guy, I can’t believe it took me this long to get into his stuff. My only exposure to The Roots prior to this album was seeing them on Fallon and the thought of “oh I really need to check them out” that would come to mind fairly frequently. When I saw this album, I could only imagine how rad it would be. T
Inspiration: Ryan Adams - Oh My Sweet Carolina
I hate to admit it but it wasn't until his cover album of 1989 that I first listened to Ryan Adams. I love how he has two incredibly distinct sounds between his solo acoustic and full band acts. "Oh My Sweet Carolina" is a beautiful ballad that drew me in with its simplicity. The part I love most about this video is how he is able capture the audience's attention in a soft, delicate way. In my own playing, I have always struggled with softer moments because I feel like I have
Blog Rhythms
Short post: when I first thought about creating a blog, there were a number of uses and functions that immediately came into my mind. I wanted to be able to write consistently and succinctly but also not have to dig deep for content every time. I felt like I should write this post as a pre-cursor to the real stuff. I will keep this an open list for new rhythms that I will start. A major reason for why I want to have these rhythms is that they will keep me accountable to bein
Why I Quit My Job
I am starting a blog. Here's why... A bit about me: I am a young husband and a young dad. I hold both of those titles very close and consider it my greatest adventure. I am also someone who is easily-inspired and thinks too much. Family and brain world take up a tremendous amount of space in my schedule and I often leave both wanting more. I decided to start this blog in an effort to boil my thoughts down into words and sentences in a manner timely enough to be a good husband
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