So, what is this about?
Why am I putting my music out into the world? Isn’t there already enough music out there?

There definitely is. The chances of my music reaching anyone beyond the people who already know me are slim to none. So why do it anyway? Part of the answer is that friends and family often ask about my music—what it sounds like, what I’m working on—and I get enough requests to share samples that it feels worth doing.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by music and how it’s made. Growing up, I’d listen to my favorite bands and try to figure out who was playing which part, who was singing which harmony. I later learned that not everyone hears music that way. Most people hear the song; I hear the parts. I fell in love with well-crafted music—there’s plenty of it across all genres.

Naturally, the next step was to try making music myself. And, well… I crashed and burned. My first attempt back in the ’90s was, to put it politely, underwhelming. It revealed how little I knew about music theory and how limited my playing skills were beyond bass guitar. I had fun doing it, but the result sounded nothing like what I heard in my head.

Fast forward to the 2020s. I’m retired now and looking for something meaningful to do. So, why not give songwriting another shot? Worst case, I’d confirm that my ’90s experience wasn’t a fluke—and then go back to golf, softball, and getting old gracefully. But honestly, it’s a great time to be a songwriter. Software has come a long way, and with virtual instruments, I now have access to tools I couldn’t even dream of 30 years ago.

In 2023, I produced three songs. They were a step in the right direction, but not quite where I wanted them to be. In 2024, I pre-produced another three tracks and ran them by an old acquaintance who works in the music industry. His feedback was brutally honest—and exactly what I needed. He held me to a higher standard, and those 2024 songs didn’t quite measure up.

Then came 2025. I produced another four tracks and sent them to Eric. His reaction? The new songs were “head and shoulders better.” We ended up talking for hours about them, and near the end of the conversation, he asked, “So… are we going to do this or not?”

We did.