From the beginning...
As a young boy, I was always finding some way to make music, whether that was singing, humming, or even beat-boxing. I “played” a variety of instruments in lessons my parents enrolled me in and in school ensembles, and it was enough to keep me busy.
In junior high I picked up with guitar lessons and took to learning covers of popular songs and music my parents played around the house. As a high school student, I developed my stage presence leading out in praise & worship and composing my own songs. As my songwriting matured I began to write about not only my faith but the other parts of life touched by my faith. As a young college student with a handful of original songs, I saved up for a home-studio equipment bundle (the M-Box Mini) and produced my first complete album, “Growth“, and hosted an album release concert near campus to share and celebrate. That was the first of several publications I released during my time in college. Each song, album, and concert I prepared nurtured my ability to express my heart convictions and lead the listener toward an ultimate realization that God is good and deserves our total devotion. This truth is so immensely important to me that it transcends the art I create, and my goal is that consumes my life.
Even after so many years of songwriting, leading, and performing, I’d be remiss to forget that I’m still an evolving musician and lyricist. Every passing moment is a gift from God, my creator, and brings new opportunities to humble myself and learn from His words to me. Those words inform my experiences, which shape my perspective, and my goal is for that perspective to bring a refreshing nuance to the songs I write.
What I believe & why it matters...
This isn’t an exhaustive list of every position I have on every matter of life, nor is it an explanation exempt from review as time passes and wisdom is gained; it is a deeper look into my paradigm.
I believe that we were all placed here (on Earth, in the universe) by a God who created everything perfectly, called us to live in relationship with him, and gave us the freedom to do so or to do otherwise. Because we (humanity) chose to do otherwise, our relationship with God was broken and our destiny was to die forever separated from him. Because this God loved us, he chose to pay the penalty of our rebellion (doing otherwise) against his heart and his ways, so that we could be restored in our relation to him and have life forever, the way that he intended.
The difficult part is that from our rebellion resulted a brokenness of our reality and our hearts that is deceptively attractive at times. Life is full of things that glitter, yet are not gold. Even valuable and helpful things can become harmful when wrongly prioritized. God’s desire for us is that we see this broken world for what it is, see our rebellious hearts for what they are, and return to him. If we choose to reject him, when he returns to restore this broken world, we will be forever separated from God and judged for our rebellion.
This matters because, as far as I know, we only get one life. Much of life is spent chasing after satisfaction and worrying about things we think will bring that satisfaction. For many, life is terribly short and full of pain and tension, and for some, it is full of ease and comfort. The risk we all run is living our entire life without taking time to consider if what we’re seeking is worthwhile and if we might be missing out on something.
As a songwriter my ultimate purpose is to create art that invites my listeners to slow down and think deeply about these things, because life is full of so many wonderful things, but it won’t last forever.
Future goals & plans...
As I continue writing, producing, and performing music, I hope to transition to a space where I can mentor young songwriters and provide resources to refine the same creative skills that I enjoy using to make art.