Playing It
Forward

There's an overabundance of personal pronouns in the music business. 

 

“Enough about you ... let's talk about me for a while!” 

 

There was a period of time when I fell into this sort of thing all too easily.  I was working to establish myself in an industry that valued self-promotion… and after over a decade of schmoozing, I walked away from all of it.  I went and got a couple of degrees and embarked on a career of giving back as an educator, and I found that to be immensely satisfying… but the music still had its sway.  I recorded and released a number of albums, just to scratch that itch.  But the only shows I played during that seventeen-year stretch were for fund raisers – relief efforts for major catastrophes and scholarship programs. 

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It helped me to realize that my creative energy could be impactful in a whole new way.

So, five years ago, when I returned to music full time, I endeavored to not just pay it forward (donate funds to causes near and dear to my heart) but I could PLAY it forward by performing a number of shows each year where all the funds go toward addressing issues with food insecurity, addictions treatment, education, and animal welfare.

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When I’m not on the road, I’m often found tinkering in my wood shop building guitars. Not for me, but for others.  I have been auctioning these off for the benefit of several non-profits.  To date six hand-built electrics and acoustics have been donated, and countless gigs played.

I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to play it forward.  

 

If you’ve got a gig for a special cause, please reach out.