Surviving the Storms
Simply put – my family has been through a lot. The defining moment for us was when my 2 ½ year old sister Heather, drowned at the our family cottage in Michigan. It was the cottage my dad built with his brother and dad. Up until then, it was our family’s safe get-away place.
I was nine years old and it happened a few days before I was to start 4th grade. The incident forever changed all members of my family, our dynamics and future. Even though its been over 40 years, we are still impacted by the trauma of the incident and her loss.
Compounded with the tragedy of my sister’s death, my dad’s construction businesses had a lot of ups and downs the following years due to the volatile housing industry at the time. We experienced a lot more downs than ups which caused a great deal of financial distress.
Despite the tough financial times and emotional strain, my parents were the glue that kept our family together. There were no trips to Disney World, but we kept busy with simple activities such as camping and hiking in the Midwest states. On these outings, my dad and I would often play catch. We’d talk as we’d toss the ball back and forth. The topics would range about what we were working on, future opportunities and the relationships in our lives.
Outside of my dad, there weren’t many men in our family’s life. Both my grandfathers died before my parents met. My uncles lived far away from us and we did not see them often. I had a lot of strong females around me with my mom, sisters and grandmothers, but for my immediate family, my dad and I are the only guys.
As I grew up, our relationship strengthened as I started working for him in construction during my holiday and summer breaks in high school and college. My job was to do the grunt work. My dad would drop me off at the sites early in the morning and pick me up at the end of the day. In the day’s late hours, we would walk the sites to review the work the crew and I had done. We’d discuss the challenges each project was facing either with the crew, my work or business issues.
Over the years, my relationship with my dad has remained strong. Since college, I continue to work with him part-time on his businesses. He serves as a mentor for my career and side projects. My family continues to go on our small family trips with my parents and yes, a ball is always a part of our packing list for a game of catch.
My Songwriting Style
Music has played an integral part of my life. I am fascinated with the dynamics of storytelling in the forms of songs. My songs are written from the perspective of growing up in the Midwest with a life rich with unique experiences and relationships. My style could fall under the category “Heartland Rock”.
My key influences are John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty – songwriters that eloquently weave the struggle and joys of life and love with self, family, friends, society and spirituality in American settings.
John Mellencamp’s “Minutes to Memories” served as the primary inspiration when I was writing the song.
4 Things I Know For Sure
Channeling Oprah, this is what I know for sure:
- I have captured an amazing story in a form of a song about fathers, their children with the backdrop of America’s greatest sport, baseball
- I’m not a good singer
- My guitar playing is suspect
- This song, if arranged with a good mix of talent, will get past my initial production and put whoever gets behind it on the center stage
Since the Song Was Written
Its been a while since I wrote the song about my dad and projected son. My dad and I have been through many more amazing chapters since I wrote the song. My parents recently moved out of the house where I hung the drywall that week. My dad and I still play football every Thanksgiving in Chicago with family and friends. I make sure I play catch with him during that day.
When I wrote the song, I was still in college and was not married. I had only a vision of how it could be with this song. Well, real life did not turn out exactly like the song: there are no sons – I have only all daughters! And yes, we have played many games of catch over the years as I coached all of them in different sports. If you want to read more about how how sports brought us together, read my coaching retirement post on Facebook.
My dad, mom, and me.
