Legacy Song—Hillside Elementary School (Des Moines, IA)

Fri, 4 Jun 2010 18:16:53 -0400

Early last month I had the good fortune of spending four days with 120 sixth graders at Hillside Elementary, where they learn a little differently than most public schools due to the innovative educational model adopted by the administration (the Bernstein Artful Learning Method...I think ).

I can’t even tell you how cool it was to be there and interact with that group as they reflected on and wrote about the concept of ‘legacy’ as well as their vision for the future. We (mostly them) wrote and recorded a song together that touches on some of their thoughts.

Give it a listen. I think you’ll dig it! It’s message is both timely and timeless, in my humble opinion.

Branford Marsalis lets his thoughts be known

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 15:50:22 -0400

I thought this was a rather interesting commentary on our society from a world famous jazz musician.

What’re your thoughts? Do you agree? Disagree?

Smart as Sheep?

Mon, 6 Apr 2009 16:56:20 -0400

Sometimes, at the most unlikely moments, I get these flashes of insight that will fade off into the ether if I don’t write them down or record them somehow. Here’s one that came to me recently, but I have to give a little context first.

Most days when I haven’t stayed up well past midnight, I try to get up at 5 a.m. to go on a walk/run where I do a lot of thinking, praying, meditating, listening, etc. The 2.5 mile route I’ve mapped out near my house takes me past the sheep farm in the above image.

Anyway, in the last year as I’ve passed these sheep a few hundred times, more than a few observations have recently forced their way into my conscious thoughts. I’d like to share one with you here:

By staying within the boundaries set for them by their owner, not only are these sheep kept safe from accidents with passing cars, but any natural predators in the area are kept out as well. Inside the fence, they’re free to eat whenever and wherever they like, and also express themselves however they like. There is a LOT of freedom within those imposed limitations!

But, what if they refused to accept the protective fences erected by their owner? What would their lives then look like?

If we could somehow find a way to live within the parameters (the fences) imposed by the following statement, life on planet earth look dramatically different:

Love your neighbor as yourself.

The implied restrictions in that one statement could usher in a golden age of humanity by protecting us from the inherent selfishness and greed responsible for so much pain and suffering. Think about it.

Philosophically speaking . . .

Wed, 4 Mar 2009 22:52:41 -0500

This little video was a spur of the moment thing I did after the Marshall University show. I was building with this brotha named Devin, and during the course of the conversation he said a couple of really interesting things that I thought were worth recording.

He’s a cool brotha, but if you didn’t know him you’d think just by looking at him that this is one kid you wouldn’t want to have a run in with on a dark street in the middle of the night!

And that’s why your grandma told you not to judge a book by its cover, grasshoppa!

Marshall Univ. Show tonite!

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:06:54 -0500

I’m sitting in the brand spankin’ new Indianapolis Airport as I write this, trippin’ on how nice this joint is! It reminds me a lot of the airport in Denver. Look at Indy trying to step up to the big time! Nice!

I’ve been looking forward to tonight’s show for a minute. Since it’ll be my first time at Marshall, I’m not sure what to expect as far as the audience goes. Should be cool though. Just do what you do, right?!

I’m listening to the unmastered version of local artist TJ Reynold’s new album while I chill in the food court. I’m amazed at how much meaningless drivel there is populating the airwaves, and exacerbating the jacked upness of our society rather than helping solve problems, or make people’s lives a little brighter.

TJ’s joint is from the heart, which is why I dig it so much. I wonder if the fact that I know him personally makes me listen to his music differently. Even if this is true, I cannot front on his creativity. In my opinion, kid has knocked it out of the park!

When this one drops, I’ll give you the particulars. Man, listening to this makes me feel the need to up my game!