The Glinting of Waking Fields I wrote the “The Glinting of Waking Fields” to evoke a morning’s gentle beginning. The song represents a landscape in the first light of dawn, with dew or sunlight creating a shimmering, sparkling effect across fields as they come to […]

Ezio’s Family “Ezio’s Family” is an iconic piece of music from the video game Assassin’s Creed II. The theme, composed by Jesper Lyd, has become synonymous with the game’s protagonist, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The song has a gentle, melancholic motif that captures Ezio’s personal […]

Zephyr I initially set out to re-record Gustavo Santaolalla’s ‘Rein’ from the soundtrack of Biutiful (2009). I had shared it on my blog over a decade ago, and with much-improved sound quality, I was eager for a fresh take. But as often happens, my ear […]

Mathilde I wrote this piece well over a decade ago. I had already been a guitar player (and teacher) since my early teenage years — but only began experimenting with fingerstyle composition in my mid-30’s. It’s is actually the first “fingerstyle song” I ever wrote. […]

All Things New At some point in your life — you’re going to need help from a higher power. You’ll know when the time comes, because you will have completely run out of earthly solutions. I’ll preface this by mentioning I’m not a goodie two-shoes […]

Lullaby for a Sleeping Moon I wrote “Lullaby for a Sleeping Moon” pretty quickly. Although I have a hard time with it — I try to and trust my ear, and (not) to prejudge what I’m doing. I’m a fan of the iconic producer Rick […]

When I Sleep, Your Eyes Close I wrote and recorded this song in 2016. It was intended for a film (that I was ultimately fired from, lol). The song is very easy to play, as I tried to pick the low hanging fruit and not […]

Greensleeves: a brief history Believed to be composed in the late 16th/early 17th century, ‘Greensleeves’ never began it’s many incarnations as a Christmas song. It was only until William Chatterton Dix wrote the carol What Child Is This (set to the Greensleeves tune) in 1865 — […]

The First Noel The First Noel is a traditional Christmas carol that is generally believed to have originated in Cornwall, a region in southwestern England with a rich Celtic heritage. The carol’s Cornish roots are evident in its name, “Noel,” which is derived from the […]

First Love and the Falling Snow I wrote “First Love and the Falling Snow” for my wife, Jennifer — as we approach our 23rd Wedding Anniversary in just a few days. Foremost in my memory is one of our early dates in 1998. (As a […]

The Light of Hidden Flowers My thematic inspiration for this piece was love sonnet XVII, by Pablo Neruda. Specifically this line: “I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz, or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off. I love you […]

The Star Spangled Banner The Star Spangled Banner is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from a poem written on September 14, 1814, by a then 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key. He wrote the piece after […]