Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 255

Year Two Day 65 – May 13th 2010

Today it all begins...well it all begins again I guess as I endeavor on the path to making a new Boy Wonder record. As much as I love being in the studio and making new music on a regular basis I'm more at home (so it seems) playing live. Ripping a stage comes much easier to me.

Making these records has always been about overcoming the mountain of insecurities that I have about my songwriting, which is always the most difficult part of the process, writing a bunch of things that really get me going and then taking them into the studio. I know once I do that recording would be a breeze but we got to get to that part first

Last time out there was less to worry about. I had just started Philly Rising and had been an artist in Philadelphia that was largely ignored I could do my thing in the corner over here because no one was going to bother me, no one cared. But making the record that would end up being Superego changed all that. Those recordings vaulted me to another level. They got me radio play, they won me awards, they got me gigs all over the country, not to mention those recordings were the one's Bryn heard when he asked me to come up and audition for Bang Camaro, the gig that put me on the path to being a full time music hustler. I feel like this next album has to justify all the work that I've put into this project, that's a lot of pressure to put on myself.

Nevertheless I do what I always do, put it aside and get to work and trust that things will take care of themselves. I have about 15 songs written and four that really get me goin, so today was the first day of rehearsals with Rob Benton my drummer. I like meeting with people individually so that I can talk to them up close and personal about the music, rehearsals are often the only time I get to physically talk about the music because once the machine gets rolling and we start doing shows we get it to the point where we often don't enjoy a great deal of eye contact.

I met Rob at his place and we went to my house. Going over each song individually, we try different feels and rhythms looking for the best fit. We've been playing together for so long he either knows instinctively exactly what I want or he gives me something fresh that makes the song better raising the number of songs I'm excited about from four to six. Rob's scary good quite possibly the best drummer I've ever shared a stage with, the push and pull that I get from both of those guys has made me a better player.

I do have a plan, for now anyway.

The game plan is to make a sweet album in the Power Trio format. It's surprising that with most of my favorite bands being three pieces, and the fact that I often perform and tour with a trio that I've never really made a power trio record. A lot of that's going to be on me to make the guitar stuff interesting. I'm excited about that. I've had so many different musical experiences in the past two years and I'm interested in pouring all of that into this new music.

Three hours later we emerge form the basement and I have a clearer picture of what the album might sound like as we make all the pieces fit. Next up is a weekend that includes a show with Bang Camaro. Talk about making the pieces fit, I haven't performed with them since October.