I have always been involved with music.  When I was a little kid I attended gigs and practices for my mom’s cover band.  Then my brothers and I started making our own songs and by middle school I even knew how to play guitar a little.  Rhett and I formed The Lavone when I was 12 and spent the next 17 years writing and recording albums.   During those years I founded an indie record label, ran a music website, pressed, sold and promoted releases, played shows, and participated in a number of bands. When I was 31, Rhett died and I started working solo, mostly, although I’ve also played in a few bands: The Eclectics, The Cindy Ivy Band, Trumpet Marine, Robots From the Future and now Fistful of Datas.  I’ve also recorded seven LPs and two EPs in that time.  So, I think it’s safe to say that music has been a major part of my life.  Specifically, writing, recording, and performing music.

I recently read the phrase “Don’t mistake your passions for hobbies.”  Fishing is a hobby of mine.  Cooking is a hobby.  Building model cars = hobby.  Music?  Passion.  But I’ve not treated it as one.

I don’t feel like I’ve actually been passionate in my pursuit of music these last few years, however.  At the end of 2014 I recorded a nice little acoustic EP, which was fine.  Last year I played more live sets than I ever have before, but mostly singing backing vocals and playing bass with occasionally keys in a cover band.  Not exactly an Inspiring Passion.  I played a few solo sets, but that was more of a side-light.  I did some recording and writing, but I haven’t been able to get the kind of traction I want.  I’m struggling to pull this new album into a shape.  I feel like I’ll know it when I see it but I haven’t seen it yet.  A lot of scribbling and playing without a lot of solid results. 

I’ve been extremely distracted, admittedly.  Work has been a massive drain on me physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Home life as well has been filled with Big Things.  I haven’t been using music as a tool to help me deal with all of it.  Instead I’ve put music to the side while trying to deal with it.  That’s a way in which I’ve treated my passion as a hobby.  I’ve been afraid to use it as a part of my daily routine of life to deal with things.  I always like to feel that I’m at the beginning of a new thing, not looking back nostalgically at the past, so I have the choice, right here, right now, to change that.  To see the future as a blank canvas and music as a skill and a comfort, and start pouring myself out artistically again.  That’s what artists do, right?