get through whatever they need to get through in that moment of their lives. By giving a little “Soulful Crunch,” my hope is that I can positively affect someone’s world. Q: You’ve informed me that you will be playing at a wedding. Is there a special reason for weddings? No special reason. But, the couple picked folk songs to walk down the aisle to that I am a huge fan of and so we connected on that. It’s pretty neat to think that years down the road, every time the couple hears these songs they will think of the moment they got married. It makes me happy to know that I am contributing to that moment through performing live for them. Q: What part did music play in your life growing up? Music was a huge part of my childhood; I started playing piano at the age of 7, and before that, I have some faint memories of really enjoying my “Dance and Jingles” class. I was one of those kids who just practiced (I’m sure my parents were thrilled), and connected with music organically. No one in my immediate family is a musician, but my grandmother was a singer, and many members of my family are creatives. So maybe I learned how to dream from them. Q: When did you know this is what you wanted to do? Music had always been a part of what I did. I know that might sound funny, but it was just natural to include it in every stage of my life. When I got to high school I joined the jazz band because it was the only music class that incorporated piano. So, I learned to play jazz music, and fell in love with it. I kept working hard, and when it came time to apply to college I just naturally applied to music schools because I knew I wanted to be a musician. In college I discovered that my true calling was songwriting, and I have been pursuing my career as a singer/songwriter and artist since then. It brings me joy and fulfillment to do what I love every day, and to constantly be surrounded by music.
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I was one of those kids who just practiced (I’m sure my parents were thrilled), and connected with music organically.
Q: Can you describe early influences that would go on to shape your identity as a musician? The first CD mix I ever got was from my friend in 7th grade, and soon after I got Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why” as a gift. I took those two CDs with my cd player on a family trip that summer and listened to them nonstop. I soaked everything in (the CD mix introduced me to the Counting Crows, Train, The Calling, Jack Johnson, Jimmy Eat World, and Coldplay just to name a few). If I had to pinpoint a few, I think Norah Jones was a big influence on my early years of trying to make sense of pop music and songwriting. In high school I got into Jack Johnson and then John
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