I sat today in my study editing demos I have recorded over the past six months. One song was written as recently as two months ago. Another I used to sing around in churches almost twenty years ago. As a songwriter, nothing is more fulfilling than finally getting all of the ingredients poured into a song---really poured in so that it has legs and begins to take on a life of its own. I now have these little children running around, like I have never seen them before---with many more of them scrawled in secret code on various charts in my study.
With a complete and independent CD release so close I can smell it, I began thinking today about the elements that have bound most of my writing together in one cohesive collection. My early Christian home, church life, teachers and mentors all served to play a part in everything I write about. Even my vocation in life, as well as, years spent directing music and choirs serve as a backdrop to many of my songs.
These are songs of a simple man. I have never wanted much more than to be a good husband and father and make a comfortable living for my family. I just wanted to see my children grow into adulthood with a sense of purpose built on the foundation of a loving home. I get the greatest enjoyment out of grabbing a lawn chair and watching the sunset on my back porch---or maybe even a walk with my dog. Simple.
I look forward to releasing these demos as a complete CD this year. They have all been recorded on my days off in my study. Nothing musically profound about that. To the very trained ear, the amateur mixing and engineering may emerge. But to the sincere listener of lyric, a familiar, yet simple man will come into view. Not a man looking to hock music or make a reputation for himself. Just a reflection of another man I came to know once.