Rock Songwriter | Guitarist | Coach
I recently went to see Death Cab for Cutie at the Armory in Minneapolis. I m not like a diehard DCFC fan, though the Plans album I listened from beginning to end over and over. I knew they were coming out with a new album, but I didn t know about the
On May 19, 2026, Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) affected my left ear. I initially thought it was a temporary ear infection and did not make a big deal. But I went to ENT (ear, nose, throat) urgent care two days later, and they took it very seriously.
I recently found out that I am getting laid off from the employer of over 12 years. But while my mind was able to process and get to a positive place, something like a layoff can be a shock to our system. It can feel like the rug is getting
There s a song from a little-known musical that I think about every time I see someone learning to finally say: enough. Alice by Heart is one of my all-time favorite musicals, and I Shrunk Enough makes me tear up every time I hear it. I was lucky enough
Hooks, hooks, hooks. Songwriters are obsessed about them, and rightfully so. Hooks serve like doors into the building that is your song. Hooks grab people s attention and make them remember. Hooks are important. Creating hooks doesn t have to be the most important goal of your songwriting. But it s great
Ah, iconic riffs. Just hearing them in intros get us excited. Memorable. Catchy. Bold. Who wouldn t want them? Well, I m in search of them for my band Nekobus. So I wanted to review for myself what ingredients go into making an iconic riff. Upon reviewing a number of such
In this fourth and final part of my musical theatre series, I share survival tips for getting through actual gigs: The main priority during a performance When you re not sure, don t play Keep your conductor in your line of sight Score is there to remind you what s coming up (as
In this part 3 of my musical theatre series, I go through the preparation for playing the shows. How important it is for guitarists to prepare Good to understand the general musical theatre process You don t have to play everything as written Digital vs. analog scores
Having checked off your prerequisites, now how do you get your first musical theatre gigs? By getting out and seeing shows. Not just touring shows, but more of your local community theater shows. See how they are done. Meet people. Get to know the process. Like any
For the last 2+ years I ve played 8 musicals. In this four-part series, I share what I learned about what it takes to get and play musical pit gigs as a guitarist. Here are the major requirements you should meet, if you re going to pursue musical gigs: