Keeping time, keeping the beat, finding my rhythm has always been an important quest for me.

When I was 10, my babysitter became my first fan when he noticed I was keeping time to the Beatles tune, “In My Life,” by clanging a spoon against my drink glass. By 12, I was finding my rhythm by fiddling on the piano and writing songs for fun. Through my teen years, I joined everything from southern rock to punk bands, all with cheesy names. No matter the outlet, I continued exploring the unique cadences in my soul, and that search has never ended.

Becoming a musician, songwriter, or artist of any type isn’t easy, but the creativity at the core of these callings is within each of us. Yes, even you – the science teacher, the lobbyist, the stay-at-home parent – have a unique pulse inside of you, a tempo for your life. For me, the patterns inside resonate most when I strum the guitar and try to find a new tune. As a song emerges, I often hesitate to press on, but my guitar is more faithful to me than I am to it. I put it down, it seems, more often than I pick it up. But the rhythms and melodies keep coming, and I keep finding my life in them.

Through music I can see more clearly and explore more deeply the trajectories of life, which are not always what we expect. Music gives me a vantage point for facing the battles, entering the chaos, and seeing the beauty in a world that can sometimes be painfully mundane. Music is a place where I can keep time, without losing time, never missing a beat.

These days, I practice and play locally, sharing the rhythms I hold most dear with the communities I treasure most. Alexandria, Del Ray, and Old Town are my stomping grounds, and you might hear me playing on stage for evening crowds or daytime festivals. Wherever I play, I like to reach audiences with a message that life can be a creative expression of who you are. Life can feel connected to a larger purpose. Life can be full of rhythm and grace.