Hello my new friend! This album reflects a number of looks at what I’m seeing today, from an “adult” point of view – although I don’t always see myself as an adult. The CD is set up to take you through the process of what went on in my head and my life in the process of writing and recording these songs. That was a 12 year period of time, so as you can imagine a whole lot happened. It sounds so heavy as I’m reading this. Some of it is. Actually, if you are open to it, many of the songs may provoke some deep thinking. Some songs will make you smile and want to call your best friend…or just hit the repeat button and allow the song to go deeper into your heart. No matter what you bring to the table – a casual ear or a focused reception – you will be pleased. You will find out a lot about me, and maybe a few things about yourself. Are you brave enough to take the challenge? I hope so. I look forward to sharing the ride with you. Other stuff that you may want to know… I grew up in Northern California. It’s beautiful, but in typical teenage fashion I couldn’t wait to get away from authority, so as soon as I graduated from high school (Ygnacio Valley High School to be specific) I went south to San Diego. I spent 5 years and a whole lot of trips to Tiajuana and the beach while earning a bachelor’s degree in Finance from San Diego State. I went to work in Orange County (about 2 hours north of San Diego) after graduating, then moved to Long Beach a couple of years later after taking a corporate job in downtown LA. About 7 years into that path I found myself wanting more. I was good at what I did and was making a lot more money than anyone I knew…yet something was not right. I saw an ice skating show and found myself crying throughout the whole thing. It wasn’t because I loved ice skating so much – it was my soul looking at people that loved what they were doing and were living their dreams – and knowing that my life didn’t feel like that at all. I left that performance and did some soul-searching. Those skaters didn’t have that life because they were lucky. I knew that. They had that life because they chose it. I decided to make some new choices. I played piano as a kid, but it wasn’t a “responsible” way to make a living, so it went by the wayside as soon as I started my formal education. I decided to start there – I loved music. I started taking piano lessons again. I had to learn scales and key signatures and all of that stuff I had lost in my years of responsible living. I remembered how to read music, but I had a limited feel for how to play and communicate the things that I was feeling. Through a few years of lessons, some coffee house gigs, and countless hours of practicing, I wrote a few songs, got some stage experience, and stumbled upon the world of sing-a-long dueling pianos. I went back to San Diego to play at a club called “Sing Sing” and met some amazing people. Through a long series of events, a door opened up to play at a club called “Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar” in Addison, Texas (just north of Dallas). I decided to walk through that door and take a chance outside California. I figured if I really hated it in Texas, California would always be there. It turns out that Texas was just where I needed to be. Two of the piano players I worked with were seasoned songwriters, and one of them had a studio. I went back to writing, practicing and making a living as a musician and finally found the courage to record this CD. I say courage because it took a lot of work to get past the doubts I had about myself and my music. It has been the most therapeutic and faith-based walk I have ever taken. One of the continuous struggles I had was that I wasn’t 21 years old and I was just starting my career as a recording artist. I know now that I wasn’t ready emotionally or spiritually to do this any time earlier than I did. It took every event, every struggle, every victory to get me here. There are no mistakes. So what if I’m 39 and putting out my first CD? This story is still in process…stay tuned for the next chapter. In the meantime, if you are in north Texas – drop by Pete’s and say hello. I’d love to meet you.