Steppingstone

The reason I'm starting this blog is because "Songs for a Better World" is my mission statement.  From the time I started writing music, this has been my goal.  My graduating class in high school was only 45 students, and we became extremely close over the course of our senior year.   I had played piano from an early age, but never really thought about composing my own song.  I wanted to do something for my classmates, so as a gift to them, I wrote an instrumental piano piece that I played at our "Senior Aloha," a ceremony that was held specifically for the students before graduation.  The feeling I had when performing my own song was indescribable.   I fell in love with composing, and decided to make that my major in college.

Writing the "perfect song" is not my goal--as that will always be impossible.   I want to somehow effect people in a positive way with my music.  Even if it makes their life just a little better for a short amount of time, then writing that song was worth it.   Music is about emotion, and it's how I express myself--the best songs have always come during the most emotional times in my life.

The recent tragic events in Japan inspired me to write a song called, "Steppingstone." Throughout my life, there have been many moments of inspiration, and this was an especially strong one.  I am a songwriter, although I don't usually write my own lyrics and prefer collaborating with other writers.  However, this time I received the gift of both melody and words.  I'm from Hawaii, and although we had some minor damage from the tsunami that was caused by the earthquake in Japan, we were okay.  After seeing the images and videos on TV, I feared the same would happen here.   I can't imagine what it is like in Japan now.

The words to "Steppingstone" had such clear imagery that I wanted to create a video that would capture the story.   Going through the photos and videos was a moving experience all on its own.  My intent with the song and video is to help anybody suffering from this horrific disaster, and also make this situation relatable to the average citizen.  This kind of tragedy could happen to anybody at anytime, and if we all did just a little, it would make the world a better place.

"Steppingstone" is available now for sale on my website, as well as iTunes.  I am donating a majority of the proceeds to The Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.  For just 99 cents, you can make a difference.  Thanks to Stasia Estep (http://www.songbirdsounds.com) for recording vocals, and Jerry Brocklehurst (http://www.newboomermusic.com) for recording and mixing the song.

Posted below is the video: