THE STORY BEHIND THE MUSIC
A Creative Beginning
For as long as I can remember, I've been drawn to creating my own path. I was a creative child with a rich inner world, always searching for ways to express myself. Creativity became a place of discovery, a place where I could explore, imagine, and connect with something that inspired me.
Music was part of my life from an early age. My family would often sing songs together, either a cappella or with my mother playing the piano. Those shared moments gave me a love for music and the joy of singing.
When I was 16, I discovered the guitar, and everything changed. I didn't feel as though I had chosen it, but the guitar had chosen me. I still remember the feeling of putting my hands on the fretboard and discovering this spark of energy. I learned one string at a time, then began building chords and learning songs, starting with simple pieces and gradually moving toward more complex music.
I learned by playing songs that inspired me. The music of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and many others became part of my musical foundation. I spent countless hours with their vinyl records, lifting the needle again and again to learn fingerpicking patterns and guitar parts one phrase at a time. Through their music, I discovered the beauty of melody, harmony, rhythm, and the emotional power of music.
I was completely captivated. I was so inspired that I wanted to play music all the time. Guitar became a sanctuary, a place where I could be fully present, get lost in the process of learning, and explore something that felt deeply personal.
Finding My Voice
As I continued exploring the guitar, I discovered open tunings, and they opened an entirely new world of possibilities. The familiar shapes of the instrument transformed into something unexpected, with new colors, new textures, and new ways of expressing emotion. Open tunings allowed me to hear the guitar differently and helped me discover a more intuitive and personal approach to creating music. It felt as though the instrument was revealing new voices and inviting me to explore where the sounds would lead.
Around that time, I was also inspired by the music of Pat Metheny and Leo Kottke. Attending their concerts and listening to their music expanded my sense of what instrumental guitar could be. They opened my imagination to the expressive possibilities of the guitar and encouraged me to continue exploring my own musical voice.
That exploration naturally became part of my songwriting journey. My connection with guitar and singing led me to creating my own music and discovering the joy of expressing myself through songwriting. I began sharing my music with audiences, performing both cover songs and original music at art festivals, clubs, and coffeehouses, later bringing my music to ski areas and other venues. I performed in Florida, Boston, New York, Colorado, and other parts of the country. I loved the connection that came from sharing songs and stories with others.
After years of singing, writing, and performing songs, I discovered that my deepest form of expression was not always found in lyrics. I found it in the voice of the guitar.
The Voice of the Guitar
Instrumental music opened a new dimension of storytelling for me. I realized that while words can be powerful, they can also define an emotion in a very specific way. A melody leaves room for imagination. The guitar could express the spaces between joy and reflection, movement and stillness, longing and gratitude. It could capture moments of vibrant energy, quiet introspection, beauty, and celebration — emotions that did not need to be explained, allowing each listener to experience the music in their own way.
Choosing instrumental guitar was not the obvious path. After years of sharing my voice and stories through songs, I found myself drawn toward a form of expression that felt more true to who I was. The guitar allowed me to follow the emotions, energy, and ideas that arose naturally in the moment. I wasn't trying to create within a particular style or genre or follow a formula. The music emerged from a feeling, an experience, or an inner spark waiting to be expressed. My creative process was simply to listen and follow where the music led.
As I began creating instrumental guitar music, I wasn't thinking about how it might affect other people. I wrote because it inspired me, transported me, and simply felt good to create. The process was about curiosity, joy, and following the ideas and emotions that came through the music.
Over time, as people discovered my music, they began sharing their stories with me. They told me they listened while studying, traveling, cleaning the house, gathering with friends, welcoming a new baby, or sitting beside someone they loved at the end of life. I realized then that something I created from a deeply personal place was also becoming part of other people's lives. The music was offering comfort, inspiration, and moments of connection in ways I never expected, and that has been one of the greatest gifts of creating.
Following My Own Path
Throughout my life, I've rarely been drawn to conventional paths. I wasn't trying to be different; I simply felt called to follow my own path. Whether in my creative choices, my personal journey, or the way I see the world, I've learned that authenticity matters more than fitting into someone else's definition of who I should be.
That same spirit has shaped my music. I haven't been interested in creating from a place of expectation or trying to fit into a predetermined mold. I've followed the sounds, melodies, energies, and emotions that feel honest to me, even when they don't fit neatly into one category. My compositions draw from contemporary folk, jazz, country, bluegrass, and New Age influences, but ultimately they come from a place that is uniquely my own: an optimistic acoustic voice built around melody, emotion, and the expressive possibilities of guitar.
For me, being an artist has always meant embracing curiosity, staying open to change, and allowing life experiences to become part of the creative process. The music reflects that journey: the joy, the challenges, the questions, the discoveries, and the moments of gratitude that continue to shape my life and my music.
Water Stones: Reflection, Transformation, and Celebration
My newest release, Water Stones, emerged from a season of deep reflection after facing cancer, experiencing loss, and gaining a profound awareness of the fragility and beauty of life. Through these instrumental compositions, I explored the many emotions that arise during times of change, allowing melody to express what words often cannot.
But this album is not only about what was lost; it is also about what was rediscovered. It is a celebration of being alive, of seeing the world with a renewed sense of gratitude, and of embracing life with a deeper awareness and appreciation.
The music reflects that journey through a range of emotions. The more upbeat compositions carry a sense of appreciation, joy, and celebration, reflecting the gift of moving forward and fully embracing life. The softer pieces hold quieter moments of reflection, honoring the grief, tenderness, and complexity that came with losing my mother and dear friends. Together, these songs capture the many emotions that shape the human experience: sorrow and hope, vulnerability and strength, reflection and joy.
Creating Water Stones became a way of honoring the entire journey, from the moments that tested me to the profound beauty of being here to experience life. Through melody, rhythm, and acoustic expression, the album reflects resilience, transformation, and the joy of continuing to grow.
Continuing the Journey
I continue to create instrumental guitar music because I feel that music can reach places that words sometimes cannot. Every composition begins with listening: listening inward, listening to life, and following the spark of inspiration wherever it leads.
This is the story behind the music.