The Journey Here

Have you ever stood still, taken a deep breath and with your eyes wide open really looked at where you were in your career? Have you ever had the courage to climb out of a comfortably numb state and wonder if you were heading in the right direction? In 2004 I took a leap of faith and did just that. I looked back and saw that I had some amazing jobs - none of which I regret. I had been blessed to connect with incredible people that I still hold dear. The missing ingredient for me was passion. The desire to spend my days working at something that came from my soul continued to pull on me. To me life is about choice and I made the choice to take a chance and trust enough to follow that inner voice.

Although I grew up in a home where the radio was always on, my musical journey really began at age 9 when I began playing the flute. From there it grew to wanting to play the guitar, sing and eventually write lyrics. Music affects me at my deepest level, so it was natural to now want to be a part of that world and become a songwriter. With a few broken hearts in tow and empathy for life lessons learned by friends and family, I began putting my passion and creativity into words on a page.

I studied at Berklee College of Music and graduated with a Lyric Specialist Certificate and am currently working through the Master Songwriting program. I am a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association, Songwriters Hall of Fame and The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). I’ve had the privilege to meet, learn from and co-write with some very cool and talented musicians and songwriters. This year I was honored to be awarded a Celebrity Scholarship at Berklee in the name of country music duo Big & Rich. Currently I am developing an acoustic sessions writers round for local songwriters and musicians to meet on a monthly basis.

I enjoy different musical genres, but I’ll admit that I’m still trying to find my own voice. My goal is to take what I see out in the world and honor it in song. Whether it’s comfort, hope, regret, loss, gratitude, love or joy; I want to write songs that allow people to feel. And ultimately I hope to be brave enough to write songs that let people feel what I feel. On a daily basis I try to develop my songwriting skills and work to define myself as an artist. I do have a few skinned knees from the journey, but I can honestly say that I’m grateful for all that I’ve experienced so far. I look forward to all that is ahead and I am so grateful for those sharing the road with me.

Peace ~ Joy