Monday, February 6, 2012

The New Album and What It Means

I’m really excited about the new album and all the possibilities it opens up creatively and in my life.  Of course we never know what the future will bring, but when I’m caught up in the moment it doesn’t really seem to matter what will happen tomorrow.  I’m just enjoying it and breathing in the fullness of life.

I started my career in my 20’s in the hopes that I would become a singer/songwriter.  I had an album of my own out by the time I was 22 and was on my way, but somewhere I lost the urge to write and the confidence it takes to fly in the face of reason.  

So I settled into a career of interpreting other’s songs.  That wasn’t all that bad.  It gave me a chance to explore a heckuva lot of genres and styles, and I know I became a better player and singer because of it.  (To be honest I don’t think I would have gotten very far on my own music in my 20’s.  I had some talent, but I lacked the seasoning to write anything of any real depth.)

But as I neared 50 I not only got the urge to write, but also any writer’s block I had experienced over the years in between soon vanished.  I’m not sure why.  Maybe it was the extra blood flow since I started to exercise regularly.  Maybe it was more reading and conversing that spurred my vocabulary.  Maybe it was something outside of me.  Whatever it was, I was on my way. 

I had concrete ideas of what I would write - visions of Dan Fogelberg writing majestic songs with soaring guitar and piano parts and high vocals, or maybe trick guitar parts ala Stephen Stills.  That’s not what my brain had in mind, and I soon learned to surrender to what it had in mind for me.  

The first batch of songs have been marvelous for me.  All kinds of emotions and styles have emerged, with interesting melodies and different phrasing and progressions.  It’s been a real pleasure to get to know whatever this drive is inside of me.  And it led me to record an album in about 9 months that was released in December of last year.

And now I have this new baby of an album that I need to nourish and push out into the world.  I’m, of course, unsure of exactly how to do this in this new world of independent promotion and unbelievable opportunity.  I never would have imagined that my albums would be available worldwide next to every other artist on services like iTunes and Spotify.  It’s humbling and energizing all at the same time.  

So I’m taking small steps as I explore the best ways to announce my project to the world and hope they treat it kindly.  I really did put some sincere energy into this project that I hope those who listen will pick up on and cherish.  Who knows?  It’s exciting all the way!

Tom