In a nutshell, I am a musical underdog. There are no major label advances, marketing or publicity teams here. No limousines or red carpet events…. I am a husband and father who was a contract furniture salesman and real estate investor by day and a musician by night. After about 10 years of feeling as if I was being torn in two by the completely contradictory roles that I played, it hit me. What if I didn’t HAVE to wake up dreading every morning? What if I trusted in the infinite power of the universe to guide me along the path that it was calling me to take? What if…? I kept seeing an inspirational message in my mind that used to scroll across a co-worker’s screen saver…as if speaking directly to me. “Take the leap. The net will appear.” What a simplistic, yet completely powerful sentiment. This was not a question, but a group of two statements. Not, “Maybe you should take the leap” or “Wouldn’t it be cool if the net appeared?” No. “Take the leap. The net will appear.” Do what it is that you fear. You will be taken care of.

Well, in January of 2010, I took the leap! You may notice that the phrase, “it will be easy” was not included in the inspirational screen saver. That’s because, most of the time, the best and most worthwhile things in life are not easy. My path has not been easy. But, it has been extremely liberating and rewarding and it does tend to get easier with each passing year!

My “leap” involved allowing myself to believe that I could support a family as a musician in his 30’s in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I have to admit that it sounded absolutely insane. I had played in bands for 12 years and made some money, but not what I would call a living wage. The money came on weekends, but what about weeknights? I knew that I would have to step into a lead role and play solo acoustic shows and lead my own band if this was ever going to work. This was definitely outside of my comfort zone. I enjoyed being the #2 guy. Let someone else have the spotlight while I play the supportive role. I was a rhythm guitar player and background vocalist and I wrote songs for others to sing. This didn’t fit the new plan. I needed to sing and play solo acoustic shows so that I could play more frequently and play on weeknights (clubs can afford solo acts on weeknights, but there is generally not enough money for bands). I would need a small, yet efficient band that could play at a competitive price, so that I could take on a LOT of gig opportunities. I started a 3-piece band, worked with a booking agent, booked shows on my own and we played damn near every bar in Fort Wayne and within an hour radius. I played solo acoustic shows, hosted open mic nights and songwriter nights. I studied other local musicians who were doing what I wanted to do. We moved out of our beautiful house and into a much smaller rental. I took a part-time job or two, as needed. I did everything that I could to make the dream work. And it did!

After 8 years of trial and error (and lots of successes), I am starting to figure some things out. I am focusing on better-paying opportunities such as weddings and private parties (I still play a lot of club gigs, too). I am also focusing on my original music, which is the whole reason that I wanted to be a musician in the first place.

My original music is the reason why I have built this site and have mounted a significant social media presence. I love to play cover songs, but I want to be known for my own music! From 2014- 2016, I financed and recorded my first solo release, “Chaos and Clarity.” If you believe in supporting the underdog and if you enjoy quality music that is a bit off the beaten path, I think that you’ll appreciate me and what I do. My songs are all written by me and the stories are lived by me. These are not songs about big butts or being in “da club.” Rather, they are glimpses at different aspects of life. These are songs that you can relate to. If you choose to support me by purchasing my album, I want you to know that you are enabling a dream and feeding a family. You are not paying for my 5th house, my limo driver, my A&R guy’s expense account or my $1 million-dollar music video. You are simply helping to stitch together the “net” for someone who has chosen to take “the leap.” For that I am eternally grateful!