Sparks from the Fire

I learned my craft as a composer/lyricist writing for the theater.  It’s probably why I write a lot of story songs.  I worked and studied as an actor and that also gave me my own interesting slant on song writing.  I try to write from my own particular corner on life, but sometimes I can write from a particular character perspective that is not me – though even in those songs there’s always an essence of me in them even if they are of another character.

Mary Magdalene-El Greco

I sometimes like to write from the particular perspective of the singer for whom I’m writing.  In the case of Julia Wade, my wife and Watchfire Music recording artist, this is particularly true.  Because I know her so well, sometimes I can get inside of her and see things from her point of view.  Before writing this kind of a song for her, I’ll usually discuss the moments in depth with her and glean from her feelings all that I can.  Then I know that when I’ve finished writing the song, she’ll naturally have a real affinity for it.

Julia’s long been fascinated with Mary Magdalene and has spent countless hours researching her life on line and reading books about her.  She was deeply into the discoveries, revelations and suppositions brought out by Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” long before the book came out and fueled the imaginations of millions around the world.

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