I create music in assorted flavors, textures, shapes and sizes. Pieces sold separately. May cause side effects such as relaxation or enjoyment. Involuntary mental or physical movements may occur such as thinking, feeling, humming, foot tapping and dancing. Consult with your healthcare provider before consuming in large doses… :-)

Ok joking aside for a bit, I write digital music books, make recordings and also music videos. Right now I have three solo piano albums and a music book & video series for kids, “Piano Traveler”. I’m also working on a project called “Time Signatures” where I create music to reflect on our current times. (Musicians will get the double entendre here). For example, I have done a music video for the 9/11 Memorial in NYC and also about the year 2012 which was fun.

Great question. When I got out of college, I remember thinking, “Wow. I just spent the first two decades of my life figuring out how to make music; now I have to figure out why.” I think about this a lot – It’s the existential crux of everything!

For me, I consider music a language, so my core ‘why’ or intent is similar to a that of a writer or even computer programmer versus that of other performing artists (such as musicians, singers or likewise, actors or actresses). It’s a different impetus.

I like using music to convey a message, to tell a story, to learn, to teach, to ‘paint a picture’ or just express this in stream-of-consciousness as part of the process (which is essentially what music improvisation is). Helping people via music with therapeutic applications of sound is a motivator of mine for the future.

Also, not to get too conceptual here, but I love that music & pictures work with the subconscious, intuitive level of perception while words & lyrics work more with the conscious, intellectual level. Connecting the two is part of my work.

I also like working with the math, form and symmetry in music and writing. I see these as tools for the architecture of a piece so it’s more of a ‘how’ but since math is also a language, it’s also part of my ‘why’. Math. Because it’s fun!

Ultimately I do think creating music and art professionally is a privilege in society that not everyone has (including myself a lot of times). Appreciating this helps me keep going with things. So that’s probably my biggest “why” now too.

If it’s true that “you are what you eat”, I’d be a mess if not mindful of what I consume! As an introvert and especially with some health challenges in the mix, I’m very careful about what I consume whether it’s food/drink, TV/media, computers/electronics, etc. I definitely need large doses of silence to ‘clean the palate’. I do think life gets too overwhelming and distracting for me with too much input. I like to keep it simple and low tech for that reason. I don’t have a cell phone. (I know – shocking!) This really helps me though.

Also, this is random but I tend to crave and consume a lot of salt. Yes – salt! Whether it’s going to the ocean or through food, maybe because salt is an excellent conductor of energy, for some reason extra consumption helps me a lot-although the American Dietetic Association would tell me otherwise! I guess I’m kind of a food rebel like that. Anyway, pass the salt!

In terms of music consumption, I’m discerning with it also and really like finding new stuff – not necessarily as in popular, commercially viable or even with the latest technology or in the “now” new, but new as in innovative. It’s rare. I remember a mentor of mine saying that there’s a lot of creativity but few innovators. I like to be on the lookout for new things from this vantage point. At the same time, I know there’s a time and place for everything so I keep an open mind and ear to it all.

I make songs, mostly. When I was a kid I was in love with the theater, but by a series of fateful twists music became my job. I love writing and performing just about equally, and I love collaboration. Being a singer songwriter is a peculiar relationship with creativity because you keep returning to your work and reinterpreting it. It’s not just one and done – you carry your past with you and get to keep re-examining it from your current perspective.

I have a noisy head. There have always been a lot of things bouncing around in it, and sometimes that noise is pretty overwhelming. The two best ways to bring the noise down are to get really still and quiet by being in nature or meditating or to shoot the rapids and get lost in making something. If I’m performing or writing or recording I’m usually in the present tense, and that is the most fulfilling way for me to be. Sometimes I’ll start in the quiet mode and things will emerge from the silence. I like that too.

I consume too much, generally. I have too many things. I drive a lot, and consume more gas than I am comfortable with. But on the positive side there are songs, stories, music, podcasts (touring musicians live on podcasts), good food, company, conversation. Experience. I love learning about how people think and act. I love learning about the natural world. My father gave me the gift of fascination, so I get interested in many things. I can’t bring myself to care what team won a particular game but give me an article on the physiology of a fastball pitch and I’ll be very happy. I love talking to people who are passionate and hearing their stories and insights.

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