Songwriting
Christian Lyricist
I write lyrics for various styles/genres:
Christian Contemporary, Gospel, Worship, Country & Folk
The lyrics always come first for me, but the melody usually follows, soon after.
Great song ideas can come from anywhere, so, I try to keep my eyes and ears open. I've always been drawn to the Old Testament and ancient Jewish stories, though, which is reflected in MANY of my songs.
I don't read/write sheet music, (or play an instrument) so, I'd love to collaborate and co-write with other songwriters and musicians.
To read my songwriting story, scroll down...
God Closes a Door...
Before 2010, I'd written poems, scores of greeting cards, shorts stories, countless book reports, papers & essays, but only 2 songs.
Then, in 2010, I had a massive head injury. I was diagnosed with a major concussion and a Chiari 1 Malformation. That's a condition where the shape of the skull can't comfortably accommodate the brain. It caused excruciating pain, pressure, and cognitive & coordination difficulties. I had to have a decompression surgery to relieve the pressure on my brain.
I died on the operating table, due to an anaphylactic reaction. Miraculously, I came back to life without assistance, shocking and confusing the medical staff.
(I probably should've warned them there was a possibility of sudden death and resurrection!)
My initial recovery was grueling. I had to retrain my brain to do simple things, like brushing my teeth. This felt like an especially cruel twist, given that I was a dental assistant at the time. I felt like a shell of who I'd been. After about 2 years of constant improvement, I regained most of the functions I'd lost, but my dental assisting career was long since over.
...And Opens a Window
Throughout my healing process, communication was a challenge. I'd lost over half of my vocabulary and struggled to verbalize my thoughts. I often used American Sign Language with family & friends, to compensate.
The inability communicate verbally was stressful. Trying to talk was exhausting and discouraging. A coworker (and dear friend) handed me a pen and a pad of paper, encouraging me to write notes instead. This was a HUGE breakthrough! I was easily able to write 90% of the words that I couldn't verbalize! Within a month, my scribblings began to pour out in the form of lyrics. And by singing the songs I'd written, I slowly regained my spoken vocabulary.
I've penned over 300 songs since then. I thank God for this gift, a new way to express myself, and praise Him. I still have some lasting effects from my injury, but I truly feel like I received so much more than I lost.