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What It Means to Matter

Written during the Autumn of 2020, when it was hard for many of us to feel good about our work and our art. I'm posting now because, well, I'm always needing the reminder that I matter. The work matters. Every

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Why Hymns?

I just released a 6-song collection of hymns that I'm really proud of. Listen here. I hope you like them!

Musically speaking, I've sometimes described myself as living in two worlds: the singer-songwriter americana-ish world and the worship…

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Music + Lyrics: Different Like Me (Unreleased)

If you saw the acoustic iPhone video of my unreleased song, Different Like Me, over on Instagram or Facebook, you'll find the lyrics here. I don't have much to say about the song; perhaps it can speak for itself. 

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Music + Lyrics: Facebook Live, 08.09.18

If you're reading this, you probably know that I host a weekly Facebook Live from my living room. Or dining room. Or from the side of the road in the middle of Virginia. You can see today's live video

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make YOUR art. bust those ghosts.

In three weeks, my nephew Elijah will be 10 years old. He is a ghostbuster. Nevermind that he couldn't find a proton pack; he came up with the plans to build his own (which, actually, Uncle Jeff mostly built himself…

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Do you want to write?

If you want to write then guess what? You have to write. You have to pick up a pencil, open your laptop, silence your cellphone, park your butt in a chair, do whatever it takes to get yourself there. And…

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Criticism and Competition: The "Why" of It All

Over the last several days, I've not been conscious of my "no criticism" challenge. Not surprisingly this struck me last night while I was criticizing something (though Jeff told me he thought it was more of a constructive criticism conversation…

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A Poem: People Say

People say, get a real job.
People say, how does that pay?
People say, get your head out of the clouds.
People say.

People say, what's your goal?
People say, you should go on The Voice!
People say, all sorts…Read more

2016 and The Kind of Musician I Want To Be

The year 2016 has been a year of firsts. Okay, it's also been a year of seconds (I released my 2nd album in April), but in some memorable ways, a year of firsts. The most memorable is that I went…Read more

#Memphis2Maine: The "Why" (and the Halfway)

Why is there so much color - and I mean rich, deep color - right in front of our often cloudy-visioned eyes? If our lives and bodies were only good for work and usefulness and producing goods, then why the…Read more

#Memphis2Maine: And so it begins.

Tonight, I'm sitting in the living room of a beautiful, quiet home in Knoxville, TN, my first stop on this tour from Memphis to Maine. I'm en route to my first house concert of the tour which happens tomorrow night…Read more