Blog: Insights on Creativity, Music, and Personal Growth

The song “Paper Thin” started with a guitar, a few chords, and a recording device I almost forgot to turn on. Here's the story of writing my first song with John Riziki, and the question that cracked it wide open.

I was the kid the choir teacher told to stop singing. For a long time, I believed them. I shouldn't have. Singing is a birthright, not a talent you either have or don't — and it's time to take yours back.

Drumming phenom KJ Sawka is in the gym before most people are awake and still gets to his studio by 7AM. I've known KJ since the nineties, when we were both on the Seattle drum scene. What I didn't know until recently is that we've both ended up in the same place: coaching other artists through the creative process.

Songwriter and educator Andrea Stolpe shares her journey from Berklee to Nashville publishing deals to founding the Emerging Musicians Coalition. We explore her three guiding principles—Prosody, Momentum, and Restraint—and why feeling is the true compass for every songwriter.

I’ve now released 21 songs toward my 100 Songs or Bust goal. What started in 2023 with just three tracks has grown into a steady flow—7 songs in 2024 and even more in 2025 (including a couple still to come). Each release has been its own snapshot of where I was in that moment, from grief and doubt to love, irony, and collaboration.

Raising a musical child is less about strict lessons and more about sparking joy, curiosity, and connection. Drawing on stories from my family and insights from Steve Nalepa, here’s how to nurture creativity without pressure—so the music stays for life.

A radio interview with KBCS about Haystack Music Festival, musical friendship, and why building community through music matters more than ever.

Seattle singer-songwriter Dave Hill Jr. shares how grief, loss, and late-in-life songwriting led to his debut album. Learn how music became a tool for healing and creative growth.

"Don’t think your way through art—feel it. Ray Bradbury, Talking Heads, and the blues all point to the same truth: the most honest, resonant creative work doesn’t come from the head. It comes from the heart, the gut, the raw edge of being alive."