Music has always played an important part in my life.  Influenced by rock bands like Kiss, Led Zeppelin and The Doors, I always wanted to be a rock star.  I started playing the guitar during high school and thoroughly enjoyed learning how to play other’s songs while also writing my own.  The process of taking ideas and building them out through verses, choruses and chord progression is so pure, so humbling and so absolutely exhilarating.  

This album is a collection of eleven of my creations.  Some of them were recorded live and feature just me on guitar on vocals.  And some of them were recorded in my son’s home recording studio allowing him to use his creativity as a music producer to breathe additional life and depth into the songs.

I would like to thank Noble for mixing and producing this album, Bonnie Wallace for sharing so much music with me over the years, Jay Seideman for getting me started on guitar, Eric Despard for giving me guitar lessons, Reno Mazendame for being a powerful source of musical inspiration, Brian Burdick for always being there, Rob Sweet for recording and sharing some amazing cover tunes, Jon Zayle for sharing his music and encouraging me to share mine, Miika Roggio for blazing a trail of musical creativity and experimentation, Dorothy Bognar for sharing her incredible talents on piano and expanding my appreciation of all music genres, and my parents for their support and encouragement.  I would also like to thank all of my family, friends, colleagues, teachers, musical artists and everyone who has touched my life and inspired me over the years.  You have all indirectly contributed to this album and I thank you for that.

Song Descriptions:

Inspiration
I wrote this song on a park bench in Florence upon my return from a trip to Austria during my semester abroad.  As I was putting pen to paper, a large flock of birds flew directly over my head, which birthed the line “I see the birds above me here to help me figure out… Why?”

Defining Moments
This is the story of the day my Uncle David lost his life on a fishing trip at the age of 16.  We all have defining moments - some are happy and some are sad.  And they all collectively make us who we are. 

Everything is Turned Upside Down
This is my ode to 2020, the year when everything seemingly stopped and everything was turned upside down. 

A Path Through
I came up with this song while carving out a path through the woods. The song is as much about building that path as it is about finding clarity.

The Way
This song is all about perspective, asking questions such as “What if all that came into our life had an eye to see?”  And “Would that change our outlook of the way things ought to be?”

The Heartbeat of Life
This song came together from the central premise that “what you choose to focus on is a choice” and that music, and all sound for that matter, is “the heartbeat of life”.

somethings
I wrote this song during college influenced by the contemplative writings of a wide variety of philosophers.  It is my playful comparison between human existence and God’s essence.

Insanity or Reality
This is one of the first songs I ever wrote. The lyrics feel as relevant today as they did back then.

Goin’ Through the Motions

This is the only song I ever wrote on piano.  I came up with it in college while playing a piano in the music building.  It is about the complexities of life and about pressing on through them.

Don’t Forget
This is another song I wrote in high school after being inspired by the title of a book written by Jon Kabat-Zinn titled “Wherever You Go, There You Are”. 

L’uomo Rana
“L’uomo Rana” translates to “The Frog Man”.  I wrote it by flipping through my Italian/English dictionary during my time abroad in Florence and played it for my Italian class.  Ciao ragazzi!

L’uomo Rana

Don’t Forget

Goin' Through the Motions

Insanity or Reality

somethings

The Heartbeat of Life

The Way

A Path Through

Everything is Turned Upside Down

Defining Moments

Inspiration

Devon Wallace

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