Man, ’86, a shadowed chapter, school’s grip tightening like a noose. The spirits of experimentation whispered in my ear, and I took refuge in the embrace of a bottle. A drink’s dance, a waltz with creativity – birthed “The Passing of the Sand,” the heartbeat of my album. Autumn, a beast gnawing at my soul, but the music, oh, it was the balm. A release, a letting go, a communion with the essence of life. Jazz theory and the Beat Generation – my companions in this wild ride, in the freedom of the present.
Come November, as leaves swirled in a ballet and the air turned crisp, a friend departed. John, fellow soul in the Episcopal youth groove, snatched away in the somber flip of a Jeep on a median. A sudden exit, a tragic scene etched in the stars.
Devastation took root, grief a heavy cloak. To honor John, to heal my wounds, I birthed “His Eternally.” Words cascading, trying to grasp the depth of loss, an attempt to find rhyme or reason in the chaos. John, gone from the tangible, yet his spirit danced in the echoes of hearts left behind.
On another voyage, I set sail to retell Homer’s “Iliad” in a symphony titled “Seeds of Innocence.” The mentor, Mr. Miller, a maestro from the golden age, dwelled next door, a reel-to-reel tape recorder in his basement – a time capsule for our musical alchemy. A journey through echoes and melodies, a testament to life’s wild tapestry.
Man, he was the hippest cat in my circle, an elder statesman steeped in tales of yesteryears. The age divide, just numbers, ’cause when we hit the basement, music was our common language. Hours blurred in a whirlwind of notes and rhythms, crafting sonic tales that found a home on Life After Birth, our debut voyage.
Those days, oh, they were a carnival of youth’s spark and magic. Mr. Miller and I, lost in the echoes of creation, forging melodies that danced through the air.
Then came my second opus, a clandestine affair, hidden from the world. A teenage symphony, an evolution of my lyrical dance, the occasional cringeworthy British accents, and the new wave vocals peppering the canvas. This album, a dive into introspection, a reflection on the journey – a different beat from Life After Birth’s wild rhythm. The teenage soul, laid bare in notes and echoes, a secret melody unfolding in the shadows.