I was thinking back over the last 10 years (this time of year makes me nostalgic) and feeling thankful for some of the things I’ve found along the way. Here’s a sketch of what’s interested me musically in each year:

2007: I formed a rock band, and started learning how to play original music in a group setting.

2008: I started using Apple’s MainStage 1.0, and began learning how to program gig-ready sounds and use them in a group setting.

2009: I met my soon to be wife, and begun the life long journey of finding balance between the demands of personal relationships and music.

2010: I played a tour with a Trans-Siberian Orchestra tribute group. This was my first introduction to learning “exactly like the record” keyboard parts and translating them live.

2011: I got married and spent the year recording an original solo piano album of music each week. (For those wondering, I made it to 50 albums before getting really sick with appendicitis and having to stop short of my goal). At the same time I started playing a lot of solo cocktail gigs around town. I also start this blog to help me figure out who I am as a musician after the breakup of my first rock group.

2012: I joined my first Americana group, Get Down Bella. Started learning how to interact improvisationally in a rock setting.

2013: I got really busy with playing cocktail piano in St. Louis. I learned how to play unobtrusive solo music for hours on end for good pay. I was financially doing great, and feeling really unfulfilled artistically.

2014: We move to Nashville. I spend most of the first year trying to take my skills up enough to be useful to potential clients. I learn the Nashville Numbers system, and learn how to work up large collections of music quickly.

2015: I start getting my first gigs with artists. I start exploring how to play with emotion while staying rhythmically sound.

2016: Things start to pick up work-wise, and I go out with a variety of artists. I start learning more what artists want from a sideman musician.

2017: I read keep playing and doing sessions, and start work on my recording studio at home. For the first time in my life, I actually have a dedicated place to make music, and I begin learning how to make music that is actually good.

2018: I start playing for a few more artists, and begin working on emotional growth through counseling. As I start to learn how to feel and manage my emotions better, I start to be able to channel those emotions into my music.

Really grateful for the last 10 years, and can’t wait for the future.