I have put my life to music one way or another.

Experiencing the world this way can be a little lonely. It seems so silly, when all I want to do is share it, hoping others enjoy it as well.

I count myself fortunate to have had the ears, the time, the freedom, and opportunities to listen to so many wonderful artists, and incredible music. How fortunate I was to have had brothers who introduced me to everything from rock, folk, to jazz at such a young age. I say a thank you to our creator every night for living at time when I got to listen to the likes of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations,Leon Russel, Curtis Mayfield, Al Greene, 3 Dog Night, Bob Marley, Sly, Simon and Garfunkle, Randy Newman, Joni Mitchell, Louden Wainwright, Carole King, James Taylor, CSNY, David Bowie, CCR, Alan Parsons, BB King, Miles, Monk, Bird, Bill Evans, Mose Allison, singers like Ella, and Roberta Flak. How I loved my AM radio, and Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Gladys Knight, just to name a few.

Bands like the Eagles,The Who,Yes, Moxy Fruvous, The Rolling Stones, Santana, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, and Cream were a frequent listen. I even liked Abba and the Bee Gees and hundreds more I can’t begin to name as it would be ludicrous.

I was raised waking early in the morning to my father blasting Benjamin Britten, Vivaldi, or Glenn Gould playing Bach. Then, my brother sneaking in to play the Incredible String Band or Janis Joplin.

Somehow, mixed in with all that, was a love for show music; Rodgers and Hammerstein: ‘Carousel’, ‘Oklahoma’, and Bernstein’s ‘West Side Story.’

I was a sucker for everything, from ‘My Fair Lady’ to the musical ‘Hair.’

And the music of Gershwin, was near heaven as well. He and writers of his ilk, like Irving Berlin, so much before my time, still hit the right notes for me.

The music of Film and TV dominate my soul. Not a day goes by when I’m not humming something of Ennio Morricone, or humming something from John Williams or even occassionally a theme from some tv show from fifty years ago.

The 1940’s Swing was ‘ Man outta sight’

Watching Betty Hutton perform was incredible

The crazy rythms of gene Krupa, and the solo lines of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and voices like Ed Ames, The Andrew Sister, and of Course Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.

then there’s musicians like Gato Barbieri or Keith Jarrett, Chuck Mangione and so so many more whose wonderful music make living in a tough world so much better.

William Ackerman, and Michael Hedges were part of a different period of music composition, that I also enjoyed. The Windham Hill Group had some beautiful artists to present.

The Lyrics I write are not always meant to be literally pulled from my life. They do reflect emotions and feelings. Something musical that reflects how my feelings are at that moment, or how someone else might be feeling just seem to be my way of dealing through expression.

I hope they reflect well and that there is a sense of common ground with what things we may all have to face from time to time.