Abstract Minutia Behind the Obvious

Auto Bio. At 14, my father bought me a bass guitar for Christmas. I didn't specifically ask for one- he just thought that I might like it. That guitar led me to my first band. That first band ignited a lifelong passion for writing and performing music. Twenty some years later I live in Pittsburgh. I am surrounded by some of the best and most supportive talent that I have ever seen- or have the pleasure to share a stage with.  I'm very proud to be part of that.

My tastes have evolved over the years, in terms of what I like to play and perform. Gone are the days writing about throwing molitov cocktails at cops. Screaming my heart out that I have something to say, and it needs to be heard. I spent my late teens through my mid twenties in a van with 4 other guys playing punk songs about the American dream. That's not something that lets itself go from you easily. In fact it stays right below the surface. What changes is the way you choose your expression. I realized a few things as my band started falling to pieces. One, that life was inevitable, and you have to get on with it before it gets on with out you. Also, I listened to more Woody Guthrie, roots, folk and classic country then I did punk at the end. I was more introspective then angry. It was a new way that I could get out what I needed to get out.  After the demise of the band I essentially stayed creatively dormant. Though I performed in other Pittsburgh based projects, which was fantastic, and I felt myself growing as a musician- but not as a songwriter. It was just not enough to satiate my appetite. In 2010 I decided that it was best for my own mental health to play my music again. I didn't have anyone to back me up, it was just me. I felt naked and bare, with a guitar in my hand instead of a mic. I couldn't sing the way I wanted and play the way I wanted simultaneously. Ones performance would always detract from the other.  I had to solely carry this crowds interest- if I could at all.

Today I still have something to say, it may not be eloquent, but my music is the tonic that I need often times just to get by. I play it for me. If you are listening to it you have my appreciation, and at times my sympathy. But I'm glad you are here and reading this, thanks and stay tuned. I thrive on the knowledge that what I feel is not singular, that it does not exist in a vacuum. That though the commonality of person experience, we all have a shared emotional consciousness  and empathy is the key to unlocking it.