Music

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Welcome to the next step on my songwriting journey

I am a son, husband, father, friend, small business owner, member of a mountain community, and a songwriter. I have no interest in holding any title other than these.

For over 25 years my songwriting journey has been private. Observing and studying communication, the craft of songwriting, and music; while exploring and understanding my identity, heritage, family history, and national history.

I feel the time has now come to share this journey with others and follow the path that emerges and resonates.

My primary goal in life is to help others understand and occupy their gifts, talents, and purpose. My primary goal as a songwriter is to capture and articulate thoughts, concepts, and stories that are thought-provoking, inspiring, and healing.

If my songwriting journey were condensed into a sentence, it would be: “Exploring the depths of the soul.”

Many of my songs address heavy subjects within the context of redemption. I integrate personal experiences with history and imagination. Many times I have visited historic battlefields to Honor the pain and loss of those that walked, fell and suffered on these hallowed grounds. While I was not present in the Civil war to hold a fellow soldier’s hand in his final moments, I have felt the weight of his legacy, in the very place he held his last breath and I carry a strong sense of responsibility to live my life in a manner that is worthy of his sacrifice.

There is an old Irish proverb that goes: “A drunk man says what a sober man thinks”. I have to wonder if a songwriter gets to articulate and bring clarity to what our hearts and minds wrestle with in our inner places. Could it be “A songwriter articulates the language of the heart”?

LIGHT. SHADOW. HONOR. REDEMPTION. HOPE.

If my songwriting journey
were condensed into a sentence:

I am fascinated by concepts and stories that showcase humanities timeless themes:

  • Freedom & Responsibility
  • Tragedy & Struggle
  • Redemption & Hope
  • Rejection & Betrayal
  • Love & Trust
  • Fear & Pain
  • Grace & Beauty
  • Risk & Loss
  • Stewarding Resources & High Ideals

I would like my songs to host space for the light and the shadows, to honor the past, bring clarity to the moment, and hope for the future—all while defining a safe place to explore the depth of our souls and be at peace with ourselves.

Respectfully;

Lyrics

Mercy Kill

The thunder of the battle slowly fadesInto the sound of low mournful groansI walk among the wounded as they layAmong the dead in a field […]

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A PEOPLE OF PEACE

Simple people with honest dreams…

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LOVE & HOPE STILL REMAIN

A lonely girl goes to bed hungry
An angry boy has a black eye…

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Collection 1

Released September 18, 2020 at 12:12pm

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The Dead Are the Lucky ones

As I hold a bloody hand and I say a prayer with a dying man…

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Subtle Pride

Lines on the mirror cut neat and straight…

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Embracing the Pain

I feel the edge of a dagger in the hand of a friend…

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Things our Family Didn’t Talk About

We all learned at an early age what not to do and what not to say…

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A Dying Thought

I’ll walk down the aisle, and I’ll take the last seat…

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Stories Behind The Songs

Story Behind The Song: Mercy Kill

It has been said that in the waning hours and days after conflict, some soldiers have been asked to consider the unimaginable by the comrades […]

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Story Behind The Song: A People of Peace

This song was written on the Samuel & Elizabeth Mumma farm that unexpectedly became the center of the battle of Antietam near Sharpsburg Maryland in […]

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Story Behind The Song: The Dead Are The Lucky Ones

This song begins in the pre-dawn hours of the 3rd and final day of the battle of Gettysburg. These battle worn soldiers experienced the death […]

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Story Behind the Song: A Dying Thought

In 1998 the state of Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker for a terrible crime she had committed. The lead up to the execution caught my […]

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Story Behind The Song: Embracing the Pain

In many ways our lives are a series of ebbs and flows of seasons. There was a season for me when I simultaneously experienced rejection […]

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