Searching for that sound

As a teen I had fall'n in love with folk music after reading Woody Guthrie's Bound For Glory and listening to Bob Dylans FreeWheelin'. In Cleveland I had become familiar with some of the local folkies while working at the old Coventry Arabica. I bought an old Yamaha off a delta blues player. I would hang out in the park at the corner playing and listening to mandolin, banjo, fiddle and guitar. Something about folk music really appealed to me. It was very differant than the Jazz my dad had listened to while I grew up. The music was simple on the surface, but held a depth that I wanted to grasp. I wanted to find that sound.....

In '87 I visited Madison, Wisconsin with my freind Steve. We had been sitting in a cafe in Evanston, Illinois reading and writing when we decided to drive up to Mad-town for the night. The next day I contacted my friend Carrie(now a triathlete). We got together and played guitar all day. I was so high on the music that we made. After leaving the co-op Carrie lived in, I ventured from Langdon to State Street. I watched the street performers rattle their strings as voices shook and reverberated thru the mid-day air. As I sat in the Steep and Brew while waiting for steve, I read a magazine called the Ithsmus and realized that this town was deep in folk music. I felt music luring me toward the future home of IMMOO. I returned within two months to make Madison my home for the next year.

In February of '88 I turned 20. I spent my birthday away from home for the first time in my life. I knew few and I wanted only to play music. Every Wednesday I would go to the Rathskeller on the UW campus for the Open Mic. When the weather improved I began singing on the street to raise my keep. My buddy Chris and I traveled around by thumb. We played our guitars in cafes and on street corners. We slept on porches and couches. Our dinner was dependent on the songs. I was quickly finding my voice. I was finding folk music.

Those early years for me are special. The music was honest, raw, and real. Chris and I were living the life we were singing.

As the years past, my act became more and more polished. My songs had less and less literal relevance in my life, and I often struggled to find the ability to personalize them. Mostly I would turn to experiences past, and channel a time long gone. Resurrecting the same passion I felt when I was younger was a rare occurrence.

Today I find my self in a similar place as I try to summon the excitement of Ironman.
Last year was my first IM. My hunger for that race was deep. All I could think of was the moment I would cross over the finish. Nothing was going to stop me. Nothing could distract me. My goal was clear. My plan was well thought out and if I executed it properly I would succeed.
I was so excited for Ironman....You only have one first....somehow I have to make this next one as important as the first.

Folk music is much like triathlon. For every Dylan and Macca there are thousands of us. We all have our own story, song, and race. Every time we sing we are able to rejoice, and with every race we are able to celebrate the suffering and joy that has brought us to this special moment.
Nothing for me feels better than my music resonating through my body. Nothing is as rewarding as training and racing. Folk music and triathlon make me feel alive.
This is my motivation.

While meditating 0n my "why" for IMKY I came the realization that I do this because it makes me happy. I don't always sing perfectly and races sometimes bring disappointment. But one thing I know is that playing folk music and triathlon make me happy.

I am planning a lot of gigs and races for 2008. I am planning to do what makes me happy!