The new single "This Time" releases March 5th 2021.  Some songs come to you fully formed.  This was one of those gifts.  The year 2020 was difficult for many reasons.  Among that difficulty was the undercurrent of contention, spite, and anger toward each other.  After hearing a particularly disheartening news story I sat at the piano and wrote this song.  We are all looking for mercy but I believe if we give mercy there will always be enough to go around.  Hope you enjoy the song.

This is a story I have heard my whole life.  My father's grandparents came from Holland and their meeting is a fairytale.  Her name was Lena and she was determined to make it to America.  Her father was a gruff man who wouldn't hear it.  So she made her plans and went to the harbor in Rotterdam.  The captain of the boat let her on and hid her in the steerage.  Her father came looking for her but the captain covered for her and after looking her father went to look elsewhere.  As the ship was leaving port, the national band was playing on the shore to send off one of their own.  Frank was a trumpet player in the band and was on the boat heading to America.  While he was on the deck of the ship waving farewell to his bandmates, Lena was in the hold and could hear the music play.  They met on the voyage across the Atlantic and fell in love.  They married after arriving.  My dad always told me that were it not for the ship's captain I'd probably be speaking Dutch!  This song is about them, their courage and love.  We hope you enjoy it! 

The beginning of this song brings a smile to my face every time I hear it.  Those trumpets rip and away we go.  There are some people in life that are like that.  They have this fire in them that burns like a supernova.  You know nothing can stop them...unless they let the world crush that flame.  I have seen that too.  The world's cruelty, pride, spite, rage, and jealously can snuff the spark from the most creative and the most talented.  It is a terror to see.  This song pulls for the fire within to be greater than those forces without.  It cheers on those who seek to create, build, and grow in the face of the world's weight.  To those I say "BURN ON!"