Happy New Year

Lots of Hope for 2026!

As John Hiatt said in his song “Learning How to Love You” [which is where Hootie & the Blowfish got the title for their major label debut], “There was a life that I was living, in some cracked rear view. Where no future was given to a heart untrue.” 2025 was a tough year for me creatively. My heart wasn’t in it. I was starting my fourth year of teaching music in my local school district to students ranging from Pre-K to high school. I knew that taking that leap might affect my creative endeavors and I wasn’t wrong. I haven’t written a song with lyrics in almost 3 years now.

I do, however, see the light. I get inspired often. It’s down to me carving out the time necessary to see it through, which is still tough. Near the end of 2025 I told my musical partner-in-crime, Doug, that I wanted to cut back on our live acoustic performances. Even my time in Star City Syndicate was feeling…cumbersome? After the first of the year, though, my depression began to lift and we started booking shows again. Star City Syndicate is celebrating 10 glorious years in 2026.

Original Common Crossing music is even moving to, well, the middle burner. We are hoping to work on some of our own tunes throughout the year and make them available on your favorite streaming services. Just because, we want to. I will attempt to record simple acoustic versions of some of my original songs that no one has even heard, just so my kids will have a record of them. I’m a grandfather now (they call me Bam Bam), so my priorities and perspectives are ever-evolving. The good news is it’s all positive. With the state that our world is in right now, I’ll take it.

Blessings to you for an amazing year in 2026. May you make all your dreams come true! Catch you on the road somewhere soon.