Muse's Muse Songwriting Message Board: jimski23 - Viewing Profile

I wrote my first song the night before my 14th birthday, about 40 years ago. I've been writing on and off since then, with a major break from all writing and performing for the last 7 years or so. Now I'm back with a vengeance! There are so many tools and pieces of technology now that make it possible for someone like me, who only plays guitar and (until recently) lived in a very isolated community to collaborate, to share, and to get my music out to the wider world.
I think of my music as covering country, light rock and folk, maybe alt country and easy listening. My brother tells me they all sound like show tunes, so I have embraced that genre, too, and have been working on a musical along with 'ad hoc' songs.
I currently live in Michigan, having moved here from Sacramento in 2004. I have also lived in Georgia, Texas and Minnesota.
I believe in writing from the heart as well as from the mind. I want my songs to be real, sometimes smart, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic - basically all of the human experience.
As a singer/songwriter, I strive to write songs not just for myself, but for others to sing as well. I try to keep the genders neutral or easily changeable in the lyrics, but when I sing them as a proud gay man, I will always sing them true to myself. If someone thinks enough of one of my songs to sing it, I give them my full blessing to adapt it to their own artistic vision.