Sometimes I think I have too many ideas. Don?t blame me blame the coffee. I love listening to music on headphones walking down any ?village? section of a big city. Anything that makes me feel like I?m in a movie ? cobblestone sidewalks, small alley-ways, the local flower shop with white daisies displayed on the sidewalk. Allow music to accompany your normal routine every chance you get ?cause it makes every passing glance from an attractive women feel like the end of the world? everyday things become dramatic. It?s great. exclamation point. Don?t blame me blame the coffee, ?cause I can?t really be expected to take responsibility for my words can I? I mean, caffeine is a drug no matter what you say. In my alter-ego, i want to be an old man with a beard scoring strings and bells for films like the Pink Panther movies-- particularly the song that occurs when Sellers is trying to cross the moat with a grapple to break into the castle. Three cheers for Mancini, the composer, i think it was.I get the same feelings when I listen to "Life In Mono" by late 90?s band, Mono. ? very French-harpsy-chordy-wet-European-back alley kind of sound. it represents so much of my alter-ego. It?s just so good. explanation point. Don?t blame me blame the coffee. I sang on a lot of kids ?sing-a-long? records when I was young and hated the sound of my own voice when I first started recording. I?d always reach for the effects button just to cover it up. Now, thanks to my father?s genes, his Levi?s jeans, and some talented producers (Clif Magness, Dan Brodbeck, and Paul Ebersold) I don?t hate my voice anymore. There were other people that helped pull me to the other side. Rufus, thank you for "poses." Zeppelin, thank you for "The Ocean." Harry Nillson, thank you for "Me And My Arrow." Radiohead guys, it took me a while, but thank you for "Amnesiac." A burned copy of that helped give me the grit i needed to tackle some strange emotions. Sorry, about the ?burned? part, but Don?t blame me blame the coffee. I hate when you see someone great, cause it makes you want to be great too, instantaneously. But then you realize that it took that person a lifetime to become that way, and that nothing happens instantly, and that?s the really, really frustrating part. waiting hurts. My mother still cuts my hair. I have so many ideas sometimes it?s hard to share. One time I worked on a song for four years ? ?Just Like I am? - because it just would not cooperate. I still work on it in my mind sometimes, even though it?s supposed to be "finished." My dad turned me on to Alice Cooper and Ray Stevens ...talk about being introduce to the whole spectrum of music. I had a couple guitar lessons in which I learned "More Than Words" and "Black Dog." There?s that musical spectrum thing again. For the most part, I run around blissfully ignorant about chords and what to call them, and to be honest, I probably wouldn?t write the songs I do had I learned chords as a kid. Don?t mean to be promoting ignorance or anything, but Don?t blame me blame the coffee. It?s just that, when you don?t learn the rules you?re much more inclined to break them smiling, and I like that. I like music, but I have this feeling that most of my friends like it even more than I do. I do my best work when I?m by myself, which means I?m prone to finishing a song when the sun is coming up (or an email, in this case). I get off on things like riding my bicycle to business meetings. It?s just fun feeling messy when you are "supposed to be" in a stiff meeting. I get so inspired sometimes it hurts. It feels like burning in my stomach, and most of the time I can?t do anything about it. I learned to write music on those kiddie keyboards with the terrible string sounds and funny electronic drums. I hate seeing a car wreck or a fistfight. There?s no feeling in the world like hearing your music back for the first time on a really good set of speakers--sometimes i feel guilty how much I like it. The black telecaster brings out the sinister side of me. I?m just coming to terms with the fact that I?m in the "music business." A friend recently told me that the key to dealing with whatever situation you are in is simply this: to "be present" wherever you find yourself. I think I agree with him. Ok, I?m done. I told you I have way too many ideas, but honestly, Don?t blame me blame the coffee.