Take a Journey with JOURNEYMAN
The inspiration for my artistic journey began with a walk along “El Camino de Santiago” in Spain, Europe’s most important pilgrimage. My decision to walk El Camino in 2017, a 500-mile trek, began two months before my trip when I received a personal calling to “follow the path.” Following my Camino and over the course of the next 18 months, I feverishly wrote and produced over 20 songs.
I have one son, currently an engineering student at The University of Iowa. I remember when I first began this musical adventure, shortly before my son was to depart to college and I was set to go on my Camino. My son was furious with me because he felt that I was “wasting” my time writing the lyrics to my first song. He said I should be doing something more productive, like looking for a “real job.”
The next day I dropped my son off at the airport so he could fly to college in Iowa. After we exchanged hugs, he said, “Dad, I’m sorry. If songwriting makes you happy, then keep doing it.” I was so proud of my son for his understanding.
Today, I find myself with a compilation of spirited and lively journey-related songs (21). Not only do these songs cross many different genres, but also the songs include a variety of vocalists and sounds… all designed to make one feel like they are on a journey – physical, spiritual, or otherwise. The seven songs contained in EP1 – “Along the Way: The Journey Begins” – serve as the foundation for the “CAMINO PROJECT,” an integrated offering of song, visual art, storytelling, and live entertainment.
Being a parent has impacted my music in several ways. First, I listen to my heart for direction. At times parents are at odds with their children and it is very easy to acquiesce to their demands. I listened to my heart raising my son and now it was time for me to listen to my heart in pursuit of my musical and artistic dreams.
Second, I found that I would often give myself the same pep talks that I gave my son during his adolescence. This self-talk included:
Never give up; trust the process
Pursue your destiny; be who you want to be
Overcome obstacles; don’t listen to your naysayers
Not only be kind to others, but also be kind to yourself; stay positive
Surround yourself with like-minded people (i.e., collaborators)
Take some risks, but realize that not every door you open may not be the correct one
You can and should make course corrections, if needed
Stay disciplined
It’s not the destination, but the journey; live in the moment and enjoy the journey
Believe in yourself and God
Third, as a parent, I often find myself reflecting daily on my family’s past, present and future. This discipline of intense reflection is exhibited in the lyrics of the songs that I write.
Last, being a parent requires one to not only multi-task, but also pull together all the various elements of daily life in order to create and execute upon a unified family game plan. I view this to be like creating a song or painting – drawing upon various abstract and disparate elements in order to create a unique, unified masterpiece of music or art.
Some say life imitates art. I would add that art/music imitates life too. Lessons learned from parenting – a life journey in and of itself – goes a long way in helping an artist stay focused on his/her passions while creating unique music and art.
Stream Along The Way: The Journey Begins now: