Mission Statement
In the wisest traditions of the world it is taught that in order to get the most out of life we have to live totally in the moment, being virtually surprised by everything. Indeed, each moment is a new reality, and while it is easy to intellectually understand this, it a bit trickier to actually live in accordance with that knowledge. After all, unless we are someone like the Dalai Lama, raised from boyhood to have a completely holy existence, our experiences with this approach to living might be less ingrained, harder to grasp, and seemingly impossible to maintain throughout our daily lives. Be that as it may, we all still manage to have those occasional moments that remind us, that jolt us, that awaken something we didn’t even know was asleep, and maybe didn’t even know existed.
That is how I felt the first time I wrote a song. I was absolutely surprised. In fact, it felt like I had found a secret that had been hidden from me, or that I had hidden from myself. This is a strange thought to have; after all, why would I hide something from myself? Perhaps it can be explained by the old saying, when the student is ready then the teacher will appear. Nonetheless, it was clear to me at that moment, to my astonishment, that I was a songwriter.
That was in 1996. Since that time the teacher has been gradually teaching, and the student has been gradually learning. I have discovered that I naturally tend to write songs that speak to the struggles we experience both as individuals and as an entire society, while at the same time addressing the potential, even necessity, for rising above them. At times it feels like I have been called towards a great mission to help inspire the world. It is a mission that I feel is shared by millions of other artists and individuals, as though there is a great chorus singing the hopes of humanity. I feel so fortunate to have a part, however small, in that beautiful song.