From just a little seed I knew that music was the best place for me to grow up. I was born in Minnetonka Minnesota and I could relate to nothing that was going on around me. It was mostly white- 99% white it felt like- middle class- suburban. The mentality felt very confining and restricting – and i did not feel happy in it. The music was my sunlight that helped me grow through an environment that was un-nurturing to the type of person that i wanted to be.

From a very young age I was always asking questions- probably pissing a lot of grown ups off- about what happens when we die? Why was i born? Who am i? What’s the purpose of this? What is really going on? None of the people that we are suppose to be able to go to for these answers – like parents, teachers, priests, counselors, family members…-adults – could give me a definitive answer to these questions. That was concerning to me. I didn’t understand living like death wasn’t possible at any moment, and if you don’t know what is going to happen after you leave here, than what are you living for?

When i was listening to music it felt like i was getting closer to those answers. Artists were more willing to expose that truth that feels like is right under our nose- on the tip of our tongue – at the tip of our fingers- but right outside of our grasp. Real musicians honor their heart (soul) and don’t ignore or deny what is really going on. This honesty is the first tool needed to uncover the secret to making Life beautiful.