It's become a rarity these days. Still, theres something interesting that happens if the same person that writes the song, sings and plays all the instruments. It can feel more connected. For many songs on this record the piano is the glue that connects them all.
STORY TIME
When I was little, there was always music in my head. It used to keep me up at night. I had no idea how to control these melodies that would plague my dreams. Perhaps an instrument would help? At 7 years old, my hands were too small for guitar so my parents signed me up for piano lessons. I quickly found that I had no discipline for sight reading and scales.
When I should have been practicing, I was just "doodling". But after pushing myself to learn the structure of many classical works. I started to see patterns that would organize those sounds in my head. So after school, or late at night, with no one in the house, you'd find me locked to that bench creating my own world anchored by a small upright piano.
I was addicted. Thus started my love affair with music composition. I imagine my parents thought it was pretty strange that their 7 year old son was spending countless hours on a piano, rather than watching tv, playing sports or video games. I was no Mozart by any means. And I'm pretty sure it sounded awful to everyone else. But to me,
It was My Escape.
Music in it's purest form.
At first, my songs were instrumental. At the age of 14, I performed for the first time in front of an audience. I accompanied a slide show for 20 minutes with continuous music. Memorized and played in the dark no less. After it concluded, I remember my father saying "That wasn't half bad". I guess some progress had been made.
Some things never change. I still dive into that world often. Those small piano melodies have become vast landscapes that can capture anything I can imagine. But it's no longer in my head. No longer a secret thats lost in the confines of my living room. I get to share it. Its recorded in the hope that a connection is made.
This is why I continue to do this.
Recording the other night I realized, I still feel like that 7 year old. Lost in the music. Young at heart, knowing there is so much music left in me. Waiting to come pouring out.
