I’ve been playing guitar since 1995 and teaching since 1999. I like writing neat chord progressions and improvising. I like spontaneous solos rather than written out ones. This comes from laziness and creativity. I love music theory and appreciate music that shows creativity in this way. Like many guitarists, I’m very good at hearing things by ear and learning them on guitar, but not such a good music reader.
I started recording on a friend’s borrowed 4-track in high school. There’s nothing quite like putting your creative musical ideas on a physical medium, learning things like ping-ponging and mixing on cassette tapes! Ever since then, I’ve enjoyed researching, testing, and even building musical electronics. You can see the gear I use here.
This is a curated list from my musical past (click on a category).
Personal
Isaiah 40
An old song we used to sing in youth group. My own classical guitar kinda version. Recorded 1/24
The Parting Glass
One of my students learned this charming old Irish song, and I found this a capella version. It’s impressive by itself, but I wanted to add some chords. This is my own arrangement. There’s no clock/metronome, so the rhythm is a bit off in some places. Recorded 2/23
OCTSRIS
Jill sometimes falls asleep to songs I’ve made like this. This is a hymn she likes, just the melody and then some ambient, sleepy jamming at the end. Recorded 2/22
Asaph ’77
A simple song I wrote. Lyrics are right out of Psalm 77. Recorded 4/21
1Tim2
A summary of 1 Timothy 2 I wrote. A great chapter that should be the subject of many songs, but just isn’t. Recorded 9/20
In the Lady’s House
This is my own rendition of a song from Baldur’s Gate, it plays when you enter a temple. I always liked it despite the fake, 90s-sounding voices, and decided to figure it out on guitar. Recorded 9/19
You Are Holy
A slow, ambient version of a church song I created to put Jill to sleep. Forest wind background for a “white noise” effect. Recorded 4/19
Sophisticated Lady
This song has always captivated me, both the chords and the lyrics. My own arrangement. Recorded 4/18
Won’t You?
My own jazz arragement of Mr. Rogers’ theme song. Some background “pub” noise added. Recorded 1/18
Pure Imagination
My own jazzy arrangement of the ballad from Willy Wonka. Recorded 2/17
Prelude to a Kiss
My own arrangement of this great jazz standard. Recorded 6/16
Zelda 2 Castle Theme
For those of us who were anti-social gaming nerds in the 90’s! This is the castle theme to Zelda II (Link). Not as good as the first Zelda, but still a recognizable tune if you played NES back then. Created using only guitars! Recorded 7/12
Come Heavy Sleep
I am often inspired by Renaissance guitar music and lyrics from Frederick Noad’s book. This song is a very moody one by John Dowland. It speaks of his fervent wish for death and Heaven. Recorded 6/11
Vivify
One day I was sort of inspired to make a neat jam track and actually ended writing some lyrics for Jill! Recorded 2/10
Satriani Lix
I used an Axe-Fx and created a preset based on Joe Satriani’s rig. I created this song with Logic using MIDI loops and a few guitar tracks to see how well it fit. I posted it on the Axe-Fx forums and got some great feedback. Recorded 8/09
Pavlov
There’s no guitar in this one, just downtempo chill music with synths and fake drums. Recorded 4/09
When I Survey
For Christmas 2008, Jill requested an album of hymns done in my own style. I called it “Hymns for Lord and Lady”. Recorded 12/08
1 Corinthians Love Song
This song was skillfully written a few months before our wedding by my friend Nate in 2001, and we played it at my wedding (yes, I was nervous). Seven years later, we decided to re-record this tune. Nate played this version for his wife when he proposed! We also played this at Nate’s rehearsal dinner on 6/6/08. I play the mandolin and sing harmony on this song, and I also recorded and mastered it. Recorded 1/08
Tune in A
I created this when Garageband had just come out, and I was excited to put all the built-in loops to good use (and then solo over it). Recorded 1/04
Videos
A tune by The Shadows I recorded in 2011. I created the backing track too!
A song called Tell Her This I recorded for Jill in 2010. It was one of the songs I put on a mix tape for her in high school.
Zen Music Men
I’ve been kicked out of several cover bands over the years and left others myself. It happens. But I seem to fit with these guys well. They’ve kept me around since 2014. I think it’s because they’re a bit older than me, have played together many years, and have “seen it all” in the rock world. John has always treated me well, always pays me generously, knows how to pick songs & entertain a crowd, and is great at booking gigs.
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Here’s some clips at various gigs from 2014 – Present:
This was a promo video I had lying around:
Grace & Caperings
Grace & Caperings (a reference from Lord of the Rings) existed from 2012-14. We gigged a few times and had a lot of fun playing together. My friend Tony Astolfi is the most gifted songwriter I’ve ever known, and quite a good guitarist. Mark and Anthony are amazing musicians as well.
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Here’s an entire gig playlist from October 2013 at Grace Community Church in Chelmsford. We played all the music for the Sunday service in the morning, then this concert at night.
Just as I am Known
Mindful
Only Beginning
You Alone
Don’t Hold Back
Confession
Made to Sing
I Give You My Peace
Enter In
Ever New
Banner
My Soul Makes its Boast
Keep On
Returning and Rest
We released an album in 2013 recorded at The Bridge Sound & Stage in Cambridge, MA:
Banner
My Soul Makes its Boast
Keep On
Just as I am Known
I Give You My Peace
We played a concert at the Freedom Farm in 2013, an amazing place of ministry that had it’s origins in the 60s:
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We were honored to play here. The small barn (where I lived a whole summer during college) was packed with local friends. This is the audio from the G&C part of the evening. It does not include a couple of songs played beforehand by Jon Langberg and I, because I do not have the audio.
Sugar Road
Jill and I were in a band together from 2008-10 called Sugar Road with two talented people we have known for years. Ryan Pendant and Hannah Daman are very dear to us! We had lots of fun making music together, and we got to play a few gigs in local coffee shops.
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We released one EP which sold out quickly (we only made 50 copies). Here are the original tracks from the album plus a bonus track! I recorded, mixed, and mastered all of these.
Sepia
The Orchard (Fly a Kite)
Wish You Well
Right Hand Stars
Forest Hill
Beauty of the Skies
Lovely Fool
Sunrise
This is the Sugar Road segment of a show we played at Panache Coffee in 2009.
Katie & Ben
The following are songs I co-wrote or covered with Katie Enlow from 2009-14. She has a beautiful voice and writes amazing songs. She would send me recordings of just her singing a melody, and I’d create harmonic structure she liked. In this way we both contributed musical creativity. We gigged around a bit, often with Sugar Road.
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Here’s some songs we did in my living room, very simple with just two tracks:
Fallen Response
Fix Me
Video Games – Lana Del Ray cover
Honeysuckle Rose
Crush
Straight Up – Paula Abdul cover
This is a Valentine’s Day dinner performance we did at Trinity church in 2012. We played three songs: “Honeysuckle Rose”, “Under a Blanket of Blue”, and “Two Sets of Joneses”.
These are a few songs we did a more “official” recordings of, but still very simple, just vocals + guitar. Katie wrote the lyrics and melodies; I recorded, mixed/mastered, and wrote the chords.
Cross Me Again
Crush
Wising Up
Katie and I, along with Sugar Road, played a show at Panache Coffee in 2009. This is the whole “Katie & Ben” segment.
These are a few videos from another gig we played alongside Sugar Road at Savory Lane (which no longer exists) in 2009.
The Sign – Ace of Bass cover
Elanor – The Turtles cover
Fix Me
Cross Me Again
Under a Blanket of Blue (jazz standard)
Other
Jon & Ben
Various projects with Jon Langberg, a friend and amazingly talented musician. Recorded from 2012-15.
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A few videos from a gig at a small coffee shop in Clinton in 2015. We were joined by Nate Burgoyne on percussion and a few friends.
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson cover
Somebody That I Used to Know – Goyte cover
We played some tunes at a “coffee house” type show at a church in Clinton in 2013:
Message in a Bottle – Police cover
Everlong – Foo Fighters cover
The Banquet
The Cassettes
This was my first “serious” cover band. It existed from 2010 – 2013. We did a lot of work preparing songs, but none of us were very good at booking gigs!
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Our first gig at the 2011 Lowell Winterfest:
A promo we did for a booking agent who was interested in us, and a clip from another gig:
New Watch City
I was in this cover band for about a year in 2018. Nice people and fun music. Some photos from various gigs, and clips from a show at Firefly’s:
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