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my fascination with music began before I could walk. I started playing the violin when I was 2 and then proceeded to learn piano, drums, guitar, bass and the cello. I started vocal training when I was 8. Yet being a songwriter is even more important to me than being a musician. I love the idea of creating something new and unique and having others react (and hopefully connect) with it.
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My goal is to create connections when I write music. To create a connection with the listener, the song needs to be written from a place of authenticity. If the song is coming from a place that connected with me when I wrote it, hopefully it will connect with others. Performance is about the musical connection between yourself and the rest of the band and the emotional connection created with the audience. I think the perfect combination of songwriting and performance would be to challenge myself to write a new song for every concert so there is always fresh material and immediate reactions to it. In many cases, I am trying to take a complex situation or idea and find a creative way to express the core emotions without being blatant. Communicating impressions allows a song to be interpreted differently by different people, based on their different experiences.
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The messages in my songs echo what I am experiencing at that moment in my life. This doesn’t mean my songs are based on actual events or individuals. I might create characters or situations to communicate a story that expresses my emotions. The idea of creating a concept album is very interesting to me. Each song is a chapter in a book, telling its own story but is also a part of the larger story. I'm currently working on a concept album about a serious break up and the complexities associated with a dysfunctional relationship.
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about
One of my strongest influences has been My Chemical Romance. It all started in 2006 with their third album, “The Black Parade.” It’s a complex rock opera that tells the story of a cancer patient dying, his experiences in the afterlife and his reflections on his life. The guitar orchestration is fantastic and the arrangements are amazing. Appreciation for “The Black Parade” seems to grow over time as more people are exposed to it. My Chemical Romance focused on writing music that would stand the test of time. Most popular music isn’t written this way. The band broke up in 2013 and I never thought I would be able to see them perform live. They reunited (quietly) in 2017 and played their first concert after the break up in December 2019 in Los Angeles. I was fortunate enough to go to the concert.