Tell us about your tour vehicle.
I don’t really have my own touring vehicle. If it’s a full band tour we will rent or borrow. If it’s just me going on the road I’ll take the Jeep out.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
It can be a challenge to eat healthy on tour, but I always try to avoid fast food. Hitting up grocery stores or vegetarian restaurants is generally a good move. If a venue provides meals we will always take them up on that to save money.
Where do you rehearse?
When I’m in NYC I usually rehearse at Battalion Studios in Gowanus, Brooklyn. It’s easy to get to and they have everything I need.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
I started writing music when I was a little kid and never really stopped. The first song I remember writing and taking seriously is a song called “Flora’s Alive”. I wrote it shortly after I moved from Iowa to NYC and was feeling a bit home sick. One of the lyrics is “the lights on the combine will show you the way home”. I grew up next to a cornfield and I remember watching the combines plow the field at night through my bedroom window.
Describe your first gig.
My first music job was playing piano for the church. I started doing that when I was 14 years old. I was always playing weddings, birthday parties, funerals, you name it when I was in high school. The first gig I remember playing as an artist was when I was 18 years old at Cup of Joe’s Coffeehouse in Cedar Falls, Iowa. I was a freshman in college and invited all my friends out. All I had with me was my keyboard. The venue didn’t have a microphone or any sort of PA, so I played completely acoustic. I had about ten songs I’d written and threw a couple covers in the set too. I had a blast and recorded my first solo album shortly after that.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I worked as an executive assistant for this company in the financial district on Wall Street that managed charter schools. The was my last “day job” and I can’t say there’s really any job other than music I enjoyed. I quit that job when I moved to Japan in 2009. While I was in Japan I studied Taiko drumming, formed a duo with a Japanese musician named Kazunari Abe, recorded an album and toured the country. When I moved back to NYC a year later I took nearly every music gig that I could get. I’ve been playing music full time for over a decade now.
How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?
Before 2020 I was able to string a decent income together through touring and various gigs in NY. I have no idea what the future holds for the music industry. I love playing live and touring, so I hope I can continue doing that.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Comparing yourself to other artists is a waste of time and energy. Confidence is key and what makes you different is your superpower.