March 2016

About ten years ago, my mother casually described me to someone else by saying, “my daughter has the spirit of music,” and went onto note I was like a bird who loved to fly and would come back to touchdown on Earth from time to time. At the time, I thought it was a lovely and poetic description, and as age and life took its toll on my free-spirited soul, I saddened to see some of that description falter to more practical habits.

There was less flying, more walking uphill… And less and less time with each passing year to wander with my two feet off the ground.

As I get closer to finishing my album, I’ve had some time to reflect on my life-long relationship with music. I’ve played music since I was 3, and I’ve always made a full or part time living as a working musician and music educator. I’m lucky by most standards, even if I’ve never made much money as a songwriter. I’m a woman who can write melodies and lyrics all day, if given the time, and I have the joy of teaching that skill to others – usually children! I’m most grateful for having the music in me to share, because it is the constant of who I am. Any moment of my life can be captured within the mood of a song. At times, those songs have been written by me, but mostly, the music has come from others who also have this spirit of music.

I’m also very grateful to share this nebulous bond with people who create melodies and lyrics. They’re in my ethereal tribe. I believe making music is a calling. You can’t not make music once you are called to create it. It’s irrelevant if anyone is listening…

This album, however, pushed me to work on my music differently. I approached it with the goal of connecting with others more, and not just giving myself an outlet for self-expression. I’ve struggled throughout my life to find what to do with my music and now, a few years away from 40, I’m finally comfortable in this relationship. I’m so comfortable that I’m willing to share this core piece of myself with others to listen, opine and judge.

It has cost plenty of money, time and effort to finish Dim the Lights as an album of multiple songs. Quite frankly, it boggles my mind that so much is invested into one song for it to go off into the market and sell for a buck on iTunes. Unreal… But I digress…

Dim the Lights, the album, is a snapshot of my songwriting and performance, yes, but its completion is also a reflection on my life. I could have completed an album many other times in my past, but I did not. I released singles on iTunes before and I certainly recorded many tracks over the past decade for online music profiles. Nope – I made an album now, because now is the right time for me. So, once again, music has been my loyal friend, motivating me to be true to myself.

I’m not looking for everyone in the world to love my music, but I hope that the spirit of music in me can reach out to connect with another spirit, and maybe, that’s how I can still fly. Maybe that’s all that matters when it’s time to touchdown on Earth – to connect with someone else.

That being said, I am truly grateful to those of you who have connected with my music, appreciated what I do, respected the effort it takes and taken the time to listen to my music, support it and/or share with me how it touched you. That means more to me than anything iTunes could ever report to me.

And me, well, I’m fortunate to have music as a way to make that connection. I’m very grateful. I am blessed to have the spirit of music in me to give away, and I am most thankful that I am still open to receiving that connection from other artists, too.

Here’s to that spirit of music…

Here’s to having the spirit of music…