My Songs
"Dark Nights" was the first song lyric I wrote. The song reminds me of the heavy days of my youth growing up in the late 70's/ early 80's, partying like a rock star in the backwoods of central Indiana. It's amazing to me how certain artists and songs draw us back to a time and place of our youth. In my mind this song channels John Mellencamp's "Jack and Diane", Bob Seger's "Night Moves" or Kid Rock's "All Summer Long." "Dark Nights" represents my attempt to connect the listener to that special time and place from their youth.
"Dream Operator" is the very first lyric I put to music. It's a story everyone can relate to. It's about a guy imagining himself picking up a chick at a bar. He continually misreads her and thinks she's into him when she's simply just enjoying the evening while listening to the band. Of course, he strikes out. The relationship he dreamed of was just a figment in his imagination. He goes home alone and exhausted, dreaming of better days ahead. All of my art is just an expression of my life experiences and I can certainly relate to this one.
The piece was originally one of the first poems I wrote. I created the chorus lines later to convert it to a song. I will always cherish this song because it was the first song I brought to completion.
"Brand New Start"
"Brand New Start" holds a special place in my heart. I wrote the lyrics on a 3-hour flight to visit my son in California. My wife and I had recently separated and our future together was uncertain for the first time in our 28 year marriage. This was one of the toughest times in my life. "Brand New Start" is actually a 3 scene story. The final scene is my projection of a hopeful outcome of a seemingly uncertain period in my life. The first 2 scenes describe my frustration with the lack of clarity during this period in my life.
The piano arpeggio is the structural foundation of the song playing from beginning to end. The concept was inspired by The Who's "Baba O'riley" which has a marimba piece playing throughout the song, thus creating the structural foundation of this song.
