I’ve always had music as a major part of my life. I grew a Southern Baptist minister’s kid and my dad was a music leader for most of that time. So church choirs, hymns, and gospel music were a huge part of influencing my early years.
I see my music career in four phases: education, self-discovery, industry, and enjoyment.
Phase 1: Education
When I was six, my mom gave me the choice between taking piano lessons or karate. Being the normal kid, I naturally chose karate (The Karate Kid was still a really big deal around that time). But the first class involved meditation, which freaked my mom out. So, I started piano lessons, “until we can find a better Karate school.” 12 years later I was still taking piano lessons.
My piano teachers over the years ran the gamut of styles: first, an emphasis on classical music; next, a focus on improvisation; lastly, a focus on building a repertoire. I couldn’t have accomplished what I eventually did without these wonderful instructors.
When I was 18 I competed for a scholarship at Ouachita Baptist University where I won their piano scholarship and the honor of studying under David Allen Wehr for a year. He taught me all about dissecting a piece and understanding the core parts. For the first time I began to see music in its smaller elements and was able to memorize large amounts of music when combining Mr. Wehr’s techniques with my improvisational techniques.
Phase 2: Self-discovery
Then I joined a band. A rock band. We traveled on weekends during my first year at Ouachita. I learned so much about what it takes to really “make it” as a musician. It’s a lot of hard work, luck, and networking.
After I year of college level music and touring in a rock band, I joined a worship group out of Nashville where I learned more about executive music industry topics: production, booking, multiple income streams, radio promotion, distribution…It was a head-trip. I don’t really remember a lot about the music. I just remember learning so much about how the music industry actually worked on two different levels: the artist level and the executive level.
Phase 3: Industry
I'm in the back right with the mic across my face...I promise.
After the Nashville gig, I came home to get married and settle down for a bit. I went through music withdrawals, though. So, almost on a whim, I started a recording studio with state-of-the-art equipment and $60k of debt. Maybe this part of my life should still be chalked up under education??
Well, recording was great and I learned a ton, but artists were leaving the studio with no clue how to really market their product. So I started managing a few artists. Within a few years, I had an artist at #13 on national radio charts on a $3000 budget.
A few months later I was asked to run an indie label. At the peak we had 12 artists. It was a wonderful experience. I have no regrets and I miss running a label dearly, but it’s no way to raise a family, which is certainly my priority.
Phase 4: Enjoyment
After years of producing and recording other peoples’ music, I’m finally enjoying my own. I have my own recording rig, a space in my house, and my Yamaha piano. I’m always playing on the piano and writing new ideas. I think of the piano as my notepad. I record little snippets of ideas and build on them later.
And that’s where I’m at. I have too much knowledge to NOT do something with it, so this site is my little outlet for my music.
I sincerely hope you enjoy it and that my music connects with you on some level. As always, I hope to hear from you if you like it and even if you don’t 