The Soul In a Soul Singer

I’ve been back home to Minneapolis for over a month now. Back to the life I know here at home. Singing, time with friends and family, ministry. Being a cat momma. I even did a little dog-sitting! (I thought I might adopt a dog and that decided it for me!)- NO.

Writing felt so easy when I was alone in Sicily. As good as I am at being alone, I do need to know that someone somewhere is out there listening. Adding to this blog was a good way to feel like I was still communicating. It was a great temporary friend.

I’ve got a show coming up on Sunday, August 27th that I am really excited about. I’ll attach the poster and all of the links below. Prepping for this show got me to thinking about a conversation I had with my good friends Jeffrey Bailey, Norm Blagman and Chryss Altamirano a few weeks back. In our text chat before getting together to celebrate my birthday, Norm mentioned that he’d like us all to think about the music that made us who we are as singers and musicians and to bring 2 songs that influenced us greatly to share with the group.

So what’s the connection? Well…first here is the story I shared with my friends that night. Back in about 1987 I had just turned 16 and started driving. Some of you can relate to the awesome feeling of independence this provides! I got a job as a peanut vendor at The Metrodome and worked whenever the MN Twins were in town. I drove my parents Jeep Eagle station wagon to work which I loved because it had a CASSETTE TAPE deck. Remember those? With my mega millions I was making in commission (actually pretty good for a teenager) from throwing peanuts, I started buying music. It’s interesting right, because when you spend your own money you start to buy things YOU like. Life for a kid is so often what the parents want and want for us. It’s interesting when that switches.

I know I’ve got you all curious here…what was the first cassette I bought with my own money? I'll tell you the first two because I think I bought them together:

Janet Jackson-Control & Anita Baker-Rapture. Followed up just a few weeks later by Bobby Brown-My Prerogative and New Edition (can’t remember the album title…just “If It isn’t Love”)

Growing up before jr. high school or so, I didn’t hear much music that was secular. When some of you hear that I know what you’re thinking. Musta been an uptight, legalistic Christian cult. It wasn’t. My mom was not like that. She has always loved all music. She grew up listening to Motown, The Beatles, and all of the greats of the 50s and 60s. In 1971, the year I was born, she found Jesus and Jesus found her. It changed everything in her life. Including her music choices. The 70s was the pinnacle of the Jesus Revolution (as told in the movie) and artists like Honeytree, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Amy Grant, The Imperials, Keith Green and Andrae Crouch were writing and singing about their experience with God through Jesus. It was a beautiful time and incredible music came out of it.

It was just my mom and I for the first eight years of my life and we always listened to this music in the Ford Pinto (on the 8-track!). I never got the impression my mom felt she COULDN’T listen to secular music or her old favorites. She just WANTED to listen to this music. I just did what my mom did and fell in love with the songs.

As a child I always gravitated toward the soulful songs and the soulful singers. What do I mean by soulful? Well here is where it gets tricky…you can say “the black singers” but that is just a little too simplistic (and stereo-typical). I did love Andrae Crouch the most. His music had all the Black church sounds…the big vocals, complex harmonies, the B3 organ,…the groove. Sometimes Andrae’s songs sounded more like R&B songs than church. But it wasn’t just Andrae and his legendary singers like Tata Vega that were soulful. Listen to Matthew Ward of 2nd Chapter of Acts, Russ Taff of the Imperials, Bryan Duncan of the Sweet Comfort Band…even Keith Green at times was incredibly soulful. O Lord You’re Beautiful is a great example. All but Andrae and Tata are white folks like me and there is just something to be said for representation.

The truth is, I can’t remember my mom ever saying I couldn’t listen to secular music, I just didn’t.

Fast forward to 1987 and 16-year old Sara. By then, my biggest influence was not my mom or my church, it was my neighborhood. I lived and went to school on the North side of Mpls. There were plenty of white people on the northside at the time but we were not the majority. I was surrounded by black people and black culture, so black music was part of that.

Again, as always, I gravitated toward the soulful. I wanted a groove, lush harmonies , complex chord changes and most of all, a singer that made me feel something. I spent the next two years building a massive collection of cassette tapes. Music was always on, especially in the car and on my “walkman” when I walked home from school. Some other faves were Stevie Wonder, Terrence Trent D’Arby, James Ingram, Al B. Sure and Keith Sweat. Representing the white folks was George Michael. Sheesh, that man could sing.

Back to 2023 and my conversation with my friends “You Bring Me Joy” -Anita Baker was the first song I brought up to my friends during our conversation. Anita was the first singer I saw myself in. I sang with her, memorized every note and run she did. I loved the background vocals, the groove, the melodies. This entire album is still today one of my very favorites.

But it wasn’t just one song we were supposed to bring up. My second song was Spread Love by Take 6. And the heart of my story is the road it took to get to that song and why it’s so special to me.

Right after high school, I attended a religious event with some friends. A conference if you will. As I mentioned earlier I had left the church I grew up in and wasn’t attending anywhere else. I had affirmed my faith in Christ at a retreat camp at about 16 years old, I was a definitely a believer, but not part of a church.

Something that was said by the speaker at the conference compelled me to throw away ALL of my secular cassettes (hundreds). I didn’t throw away any Christian music because I didn’t have any. I remember, reluctantly, but with a lot of determination walking with a couple of giant black trash bags full of cassettes and placing them in the garbage bins. I believed at the time that those cassettes and that music had become too important to me and was an “idol”. It wasn’t so much about the content, more about how much I had invested in it. It was a sacrifice and a step in faith towards God. I didn’t really want to do it, I just did it.

Huh. It was the first time in my life that I had done something like this. I didn’t tell ANYONE. I felt stupid about it. Or maybe like a dumb sheep falling for a dumb trick.

I missed my music but life went on. I still listened to the radio and watched MTV and one day I heard the song “Spread Love” by Take 6 on the radio. A few days later I heard “Heaven” by BeBe and CeCe Winans.

Here is where I could stop typing and have a good and grateful cry. It’s a moment where pieces of your life that don’t make sense or seem so fragmented come together. It’s where a 52 year old looks at an 18 year old and says, “everything happens for a reason…it all matters”.

You see my church world and my neighborhood came together. My faith and the soulful music I had always felt pulled to like a magnet came together. And my world opened up to a new sound. GOSPEL MUSIC. And this gospel music was on the secular radio, in the same countdown as Duran Duran. I wonder, had I held on to the music that had half of what I needed, would I have found the music that had it all completely?

I’m a Gospel singer now. I’m a soul singer. I sing and write songs about my faith in God. My songs have groove, and complex chords and lush harmonies. They have soul. I sing in church, but also in parks and on porches, and at supper clubs. Because it’s the music that is complete to me.

Take 6, BeBe and CeCe, The Winans, Commissioned, Kirk Franklin, Andrae Crouch, Fred Hammond...these artists showed me how to sing with my soul. And now today, Tonia Hughes Kendrick, Billy Steele, Kennadi Hurst, Lawrence Miles…they show me how to sing Gospel music.

Some of you ask why I don’t only sing Gospel music at church? Why do I choose secular venues? The answer is that I’m really glad Take 6 and The Winans didn’t do that.

Come and hear us sing songs that mean the world to me on Sunday, August 27th 2023 at Crooner’s.

Two shows, 5 & 8pm.

https://tinyurl.com/5PM-SHOW-WINANS
https://tinyurl.com/8PM-SHOW-WINANS

Essere (To Be)

It’s my last day here in Sicily by myself! This epic adventure has three parts and I am completing part two today. I’ll be flying to Firenze tomorrow to meet my dear friend of 30+ years and very bestest Italy buddy, Brian. We’ll spend two days in Florence and then return to Sicily for five days. I’ll let that adventure unfold as it happens. Again, a reminder that if you wanna see day-by-day pictures and videos, follow me on instagram. @slurenner.

These 14 days have been many things and I’ll try to unpack a bit here now. I came here because i felt called to it. I wasn’t sure what was here for me. So often when God wants to reveal something it is not in a single moment or single day. It’s a process over time.

When I first got here I put pressure on myself to be creative. I thought for sure that was the reason I was here. Songs, maybe do some writing for a book, etc… why travel thousands of miles and not come back with a “product”? I went into the Ionian sea with a mission to meet the creative muse. I desperately hoped to get a song or an inspiration for a chapter. I sat down in front of my computer and tried to hear something. I felt the ocean breeze, heard the sound of the waves. I prayed.

Nothing.

To my own credit, I didn’t linger on it. After having lived this life for a while now and having been through a lot, including being stuck and paralyzed emotionally by my own expectations, I’ve learned to pivot pretty quickly. I remembered what God has been showing me even before this trip. Savor the moment. Stop dwelling in yesterday or living for what is happening tomorrow. Be right here.

Sun sets. Time fly's. Don't forget. Experience life. - from Savor the Moment on my album All For Love. Give it a listen.

So I did. I dropped the creative agenda which was requiring me to dredge up the past in order to produce something for the future. I let go of my expectations and started to listen and to pay attention to what my mind, body and soul was telling me it needed.

The message was REST. Pure rest. A few days ago I was perusing Instagram and read a quote posted by my friend, Jenny Sung. (I looked for the exact quote and couldn’t find it). I’ll summarize. The purpose of rest is rest. It’s not resting FOR something. It’s something we need because we are human. Just rest.

In my hometown of Minneapolis MN my life is full. I am the Director of Contemporary Worship at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church. I own and perform in a dance band called The Covers. I write, sing, record and perform original music and am a singer for hire in a number of tribute shows and church events. And just because it’s full of good and purposeful things it does not mean it is easy. BECAUSE it is purposeful it is not easy. With rare exception, when I sing, I give with the entirety of my being. Especially over these past few years of pandemic and turmoil. It is my nature to DO THE WORK. I am driven to accomplish and complete a task…whatever it is. Alongside that reality, I am also an extreme introvert. I do not generate energy from being with people. I am drained and emptied by being with people. I regenerate by being alone.

And so God called me to the water thousands of miles from where anybody knows what I am capable of accomplishing because God knew my reservoir was EMPTY.

I rested here. It took me a while, but finally, I let myself just be. I strolled through Sicilian towns, learned to cook local food, figured out how to take the train LIKE A BOSS (people started asking ME where things were and how to do things like I was a local!). I people-watched, shopped, read books on the beach or overlooking the beach from my terrace, admired the flowers, ate gelato and a spoonful of Nutella whenever I wanted, floated in the salty water and one time I even stayed in bed ALL DAY.

I feel like I’ve added quality years to my life. I’ve lost weight without trying. These pounds have been plaguing me, friends. I’ve struggled to find the reason and the solution. The pounds left with the stress (and the car!) 😁 I sleep through the night. My joints don’t ache. I don’t have actual confirmation about this (yet) but I’ll bet you my blood pressure and cholesterol are lower. I’m sure there are many contributing factors to declining health, but after this trip I will NOT discount or minimize STRESS ever again.

Yesterday I swam in the sea. It had been a few days because I was letting these wounds I had on my hands heal a bit more before introducing my new skin to the ocean’s bacteria. It was the first time since I’ve been here (22 days) that I experienced that “hug” again in the water (see “Being Alone”). It felt like love. As my body moved with the gentle waves, the Holy Spirit whispered “I AM good. You are LOVED. And My timing is PERFECT”. Some of you might recognize this as a paraphrase of the lyrics from the worship song Good Good Father. I’ve sung this song a hundred times. Those words came alive today and became a reality for me.

i have no doubt that I will go back to being very productive when I get home. I’ll get more ideas, sing more songs, and generally get things done…as I always have. Right now, though?

The word.

Today.

Is simply, “Essere”.

Being Family (essere famiglia)

Today is day 19 of my Sicilian adventure. I caught a cold around day 2 or 3 and still feel the effects of it. It’s been annoying but hasn’t stopped me from enjoying anything. I usually get some sort of giant bruise or sometimes multiple little ones on my legs from just walking around the house. I am a person that often bumps into things because I am not focused on walking like I should. My brain is almost always in multi-task. With all the walking I’m doing, I did wonder when I would trip or slip or hurt something.

Well, that day is today.

I had some grand plans. I took a fantastic cooking class on day 17 with a business called Ortigia Flavour. It really exceeded my expectations. Guiseppe, our guide, showed us how to shop in the fresh market. We bought some bread for bruschetta, stopped at a famous fish monger who showed us a picture of himself with Pope John Paul II, and finally I learned where to find SMOKED (affumicata) buffalo mozzarella. Delizioso! We then drove about 10 minutes out of town to the family farm and kitchen where we cooked a meal together. We being five of us…a couple from New Zealand and a couple from Singapore/Australia. We made the very famous Sicilian dish, “Pasta a la Norma”, veal cutlets cooked in fresh orange juice and my favorite, squash greens. Again, if you wanna see pictures of my trip, follow me on Instagram @slurenner

I was super excited about recreating my favorite parts of this meal in my own kitchen this very evening. My plan was to go and see the Greek Theatre in Siracusa, because the New Zealanders said it was their favorite thing and then walk over to the market to buy some veal, the squash greens and that dang smoked buffalo mozzarella which just about changed my life.

I hopped on the 9:48am train and landed in Siracusa 10 minutes later. I find my way around by using Apple maps and setting it to walk. It’s worked pretty well (except my first day alone in Catania, when it brought me through a rough section of town to a CLOSED train station). If I’m honest, that whole day, Italy really kicked my ass. It happens to the best of us. :)

I plugged in “Teatro Greco” and off I went. About 100 ft in to my 1 mile walk, I turned left down a street that was gravel instead of cobble stone. There was a bump I didn’t see and down I went. Facing forward and blocking my fall with my hands. Both of my palms and my right knee hit first and scraped on the gravel road. My hands were scraped up, full of dirt and bleeding. My knee had the advantage of my having pants on to protect it so just some ruined pants and a little scrape. I will also likely have a giant bruise in a few days because it’s me.

Two people witnessed my fall. Both walked over to help me up…super nice. I told them I was fine and started walking forward. Not thinking, a little stunned. The lady that witnessed my fall followed a bit and offered me some alcohol gel. Again, super nice. It was around this time that I stopped and looked at my bleeding hands. I had nothing but the antiseptic gel and Italy isn’t super accessible for sinks and first aid (ONLY found in a farmacia). Being 100 ft from the train station, I decided to bail on my day trip and take the first train back to my little town so I could properly deal with my injuries. So, here I sit. Bandaged up and home for the day, reading and catching up on social media and text messages.

My aunt Becky sent me a video of my whole family sitting on her deck and singing O Sole Mio. She said I didn’t need to go all the way to Italy to hear Italian songs. So true. It got me thinking about them. My family. I come from such good people.

More than 100 years ago, my great-grandfather, Antonio Sauchelli and my great-grandmother Antonetta Tarlizzo left their homes in the region of Benevento (Fragneto L’Abate to be precise), sailed from the port of Napoli and crossed the Atlantic ocean to a new life in America. Can you imagine? Leaving all you know, …people, culture, language. Antonio came from land-owning family and they had money. He had to leave Italy because of a family scandal. Antonetta came from an extremely poor family. She was a peasant. The opportunity came up to marry Antonio (a stranger to her) and sail to America. She had very little choice. That’s what it’s like being poor. They arrived in America through Ellis Island, struggled through the Great Depression and built a life. My grandfather, Joseph was their 6th child, born in 1921 and sadly, the second Joseph Sanchelli. The first died of starvation and disease (in other words, he and his sister died of poverty) during a very very difficult time in American history.

When I remember this story I cannot imagine the suffering they endured and you’d think we’d be destined for a lifetime of sadness. But truly what we all remember as a family is the JOY that has always filled our houses. The absolute, infectious and exhuberant joy, laughter, music, kindness and warmth that we have in a lifetime of memories and still today. It is the single most perfect gift I have in this life. To have been born a Sanchelli (the “U” of Sauchelli changed to an “N” by a clerk in Ellis Island) and to have been surrounded by the most complete kind of love for my entire lifetime. There has been no shortage of painful times and circumstances but if you’ve spent any time with us, you know this is true. We’ve got this family thing figured out.

All this to say, if my aunts and my mom or any of my sisters and cousins would have been with me today when I fell down, I would have heard about it for years. They would have checked quick to see if I was okay and then laughed til they cried because those strangers were polite but I’m sure the whole thing looked really funny. It is FUNNY when people trip and fall. My Aunt Gina would have laughed first and THEN checked to see if I was okay. She’s always been the meanest. :) My grandma Ruby would have said “Uh-huh, Grace…how’s your trip” and then chuckled quietly to herself. Then, they would have cleaned my wounds, bandaged me up, bought me gelato and we would have moved on to have a beautiful day together. And then in about 10 years, they’d bring it all up again during a game of “Nuts” because they are tired of losing to me. And they’d laugh until they cried all over again. This is what being family is all about. ❤️🇮🇹🇺🇸

Feel It All

I’m more than half-way through my trip. It’s day 18 and 12 more to go. I have never been away from home for this long. Turns out I like home. A lot. I had a video visit with my cats. Real tears happened. I think Wallace actually heard my voice and remembered it. He acted like he missed me. Ru just came out from his hiding spot for a bit, sniffed the air and was curious about the noise he was hearing (basically me saying his name on repeat). Typical.

I saw the garden I planted before I left. It’s growing! Bursts of red and other colors have appeared. The peonies are in full bloom. I’m sad to miss that.

I miss my people too. I can only walk around with confidence here by myself because I am held up by the love of my family and my friends in Minnesota. I am known and I am not ever truly alone. Being loved and known is an extraordinary gift not to be taken for granted. I wish everyone could get this perspective. It does require willingness to put oneself in vulnerable and challenging situations. My song “Feel It All” expresses that thought. Give it a listen.

I continue to try and stay in the moment here. Some of the lovely things that surround me on a daily basis ❤️:

* Italy has the best tasting coffee. I don’t know what they do to it. I’ve settled on cappuccino as my daily routine. My spot back home (Corner Coffee) has a great tasting espresso and each day I get an iced Cortado (shot of espresso with 4 oz of milk). I like it because it has less milk than a latte and you really get a good balance with the espresso. This being said. Italy wins. The foamy cappuccino with a little sugar and accompanied by a croissant. Perfecto.

*The sound of the sea. It is literally my soundtrack everyday. I tolerate the little biting gnats that come in to my apartment because I simply must hear it when I am awake and to put me to sleep at night. I do wish this apartment had SCREENS though. Oh…Italy.

*The lemon tree in the backyard and really…all the fruit around here. We even have an apricot tree and my sister and I were able to pick fruit from it when we first got here. This is the perfect climate for fruit and it is everywhere! The fresh food market is THE BEST. I learned about the fish market, the butcher shop and a great store to buy cheese yesterday during my cooking class. Tomorrow’s adventure is the market. :)

*The color of the water. It is so many shades of blue. I love to look at it against the green of the palm trees and the foliage of the umbrella pines. All the plants and flowers here are bold and beautiful. Different textures and bright colors. It makes me happy.

*The history. The architecture.

*How easy it is to get food that is free of preservatives and additives. You gotta eat fresh food quickly but that’s a good problem to have.

If you wanna see pictures of all of these cool things, follow me on Instagram. @slurenner

A few things that aren’t so lovely. Every place has it’s good and bad. 🥴:

*The train, at least the regional train that I have been depending on, is super unpredictable. It can be confusing and can cancel for no reason. It is impossible to get a refund if you already bought a ticket. Seriously, the form they give you to fill out and MAIL for a 3 Euro ticket! The process is hilarious! Then you are forced to rely on a taxi and get ready to PAY for it. You just hope to find someone that is kind. I’ll have a car again next week and I cannot wait! So much easier.

*Garbage and graffiti. You stop noticing it but it’s everywhere.

*Working Italians are not helpful. There is no incentive for customer service here.

The best part of making a list of not so lovely things is that it really makes you appreciate home. Things bug me because I have the privilege of a life at home that ISN‘T surrounded by graffiti, garbage, disorganization and rudeness. If this is your reality as well, take a minute and appreciate it.

Buona giornata amici! Ciao! ~sara

Being Old (essere vecchio)

This might come as a shock to some of you, but I am no longer a young person. It is hard for me to say that. 25 was the last age I actually looked forward to and that is because I could finally rent a car. I turned 25, 27 years ago. Feeling old and being old are two different things. I am not yet old but am officially ALMOST old. My friends are becoming grandparents. How did this happen?

I felt old when I turned 40 but I wasn’t old. I wish I would have known that. If you are 40, you are not old. I mean, it’s gonna happen, but not yet. So stop feeling old.

I remember watching City Slickers when I was still in my 20s. The entire movie was about Billy Crystal’s character having a mid-life crisis. I remember thinking at the time, “dang, he’s old” and this movie is just so so funny. I happened upon it again recently and I realized that I was around the same age as Billy Crystal’s character who was having a mid-life crisis. The whole movie hits different from that perspective. Still funny but also a little painful.

Am I having a mid-life crisis? I mean, there is some evidence to support that theory…In 2019 I bought an Alfa Romeo. Then in 2021, I traded my Vesuvio Grey Alfa in for an Alfa Rosso TI Nero. Grey is boring. I “needed” a bright red one.

I am currently spending an entire month in Italy. I had a bunch of banked vacation time to use, but honestly if I hadn’t had any vacation time to use I still would have done this. (Pretty sure my boss is aware of that). Some would say that this “throw caution to the wind, sail across the ocean and find yourself type trip” lends itself to crisis mode.

I would say “no”. I am not in crisis. But I am definitely looking seriously at the next part of my life and wondering what it’s gonna be about. This is a natural occurrence when the time you have left is likely less than the time you’ve already spent here. And as for buying the Alfa. I don’t have any kids to put through college and I work my tail off. It’s fun to drive. Boom.

I’ve done meaningful things in the 30 or so years that I’ve been an adult. I’ve built a life for myself, cultivated friendships, loved and lost. I’ve written, sung and recorded songs that will outlive me. Been part of moments that are unforgettable, life-giving and life-changing for me and others. I have not achieved great fame or fortune but almost everything I do for work on this earth is authentic and meaningful. Purposeful. I point people to the unfathomable beauty and Everlasting Love of God every week. That’s my actual job.

So what’s next? As I sit here typing from my terrace in Sicily thoughts are beginning to form. I’m hearing a word that is new but an idea that is familiar. A wise pastor once said the voice of the Holy Spirit is a “confirming” voice. Meaning, God delivers God’s messages more than once and from different sources. I’m grateful for that persistence.

The word i’m hearing is…

Inspire.

In January of 2021, the year I turned 50, and all of the other things I described to you in “Being Alone”, I was leading worship, as I do every week, at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church. Our Lead Pastor preached a sermon and all I remember about it was that it was 1) great (sorry Mike!) and 2) it “inspired” me to say this to God.

“Lord, what do YOU want to accomplish THROUGH me in the years I have left”.

There is rarely an instant answer in a loud voice to a question like that. I feel like Noah got a pretty clear answer…Moses even clearer. I just got the sense in that moment that I had finally asked the right question. And so time goes by… and the answer reveals itself.

Inspire.

The cool thing about this is that I get to continue living my life as I have been. Traveling the world with friends, writing songs, singing at weddings and funerals, leading worship, planting gardens, sipping martinis on my patio and buying Italian cars.

The difference is when I do things now, when I create things now, it doesn’t feel like it’s all for me. I feel like I’m building a template that I hope others see and use. My show at Crooner’s felt like it was a celebration of all that I had accomplished but my heart behind it was to inspire other artists around me to start taking risks by writing and performing original music. And I feel like I’m seeing that happening. I’m hoping I spark an idea that leads to a brave step. To faith. Young and old and all that is in between. I want to inspire people of all ages to do what is in their heart to do. To find and embrace their purpose. Not just in art and creativity, but in how you live your life everyday.

In case you didn’t know…It takes a lot of bravery to be a 50yo single woman with no children and to actually be okay with it. Most of us don’t choose this because culture really beats up on our self-worth. Constantly. Even here in Sicily, when i walk into a restaurant the wide-eyed waiters who say, “You are solo, you are ALONE?” (Geez! I have friends! They’re just not with me right now so calm down!) For whatever reason that you are where you are, live your LIFE. Do all the things people tied down to the wonderful obligations of family can’t do without dire consequences. Spend your money. Climb the mountain. Buy that painting. Let me show you how. :)

I want you to take the good and the bad of all you have in your genetics and your culture and your life-experiences and consider it ALL a contribution to the human tapestry God is weaving together. My song “Altogether Beautiful” is not just about coming together and living in harmony with each other. It’s about making peace with all that is within YOU. Your faults, vices and weaknessess and your joys, victories and strengths. All together. Beautiful. Don’t forget about your failures. Your pain makes you interesting. Pain is color in a black and white world. Our collective pain is what is behind the greatest art, the greatest songs and the greatest people in history. The things you do not succeed in or do not have and all that you’ve done to overcome it is the story everybody wants to hear. If I had everything I’ve ever wanted in this life I would never have created anything.

So now when you see me release a new song, or write a new blog, or take a month off to write and dream and rest, or post a video enjoying my 4th gelato of the day know that i am thinking of YOU. And hoping you have the courage to ask God the right question.

If this is being old I’m here for it.