The Rulebreaker

Thinking about the most distant photo of Earth taken by Voyager 1 on February 14th, 1990. "There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known." — Carl Sagan

A reference to J.R.R. Tolkien. Narya, the "Ring of Fire" and one of the Three Elven Rings, was given to Gandalf by Círdan the shipwright and had the power to inspire courage in others. The song makes me think about sailing and seeking adventure in uncharted waters. I believe the ring's power also inspired hobbits to get out of their hobbit holes and go on adventures. The bridge is inspired by the music of Antoine Dufour.

A memory of the late musician Tom Shinness. When I was 17 I saw him busking with his harp guitar in the small town of Nashville, Indiana. It was the first time I saw percussive techniques on steel strings. I asked Tom if he studied music theory (as I was pondering going to music school at the time), and he told me "Of course. You have to learn the rules so you know how to break 'em." I've kept that advice with me, and Iridescent Harp remains one of my favorite albums.

In this hectic and fast-paced life, you have to take a moment every once in a while to stop and smell the roses. This is reflected in the slow section of the song. It's one of the earliest pieces I wrote, and as time goes on that section gets slower and slower in a good way.

Nostalgic piece about the joy of going into the ocean for the first time and entering a new world. Inspired by the harp guitar piece Into the Ocean by Andy McKee.

Title track of my 2nd album. Our life is like a meteor burning through the atmosphere. We only exist for a brief moment in the span of the universe. But for that brief moment, we are spectacular and brilliant. As was taught by mathematician Georg Cantor (no known relation), there are infinity infinities within even the briefest moment.

Written while studying tropical biology abroad in Grand Cayman in college. An escape to beautiful scenery and a laid-back life. Who knew just tuning the B string up to C could unlock so many possibilities?

Two contrasting musical ideas trying to reconcile, as do quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity. Definitely a nerdy one.

Feels like home. My roots will always be in the beautiful state of Indiana. Also I used to drive a Pontiac Vibe. So maybe the song is also about driving my old car down Indiana roads to gigs around Indianapolis and Bloomington.

A beautiful word which describes the warmth of the sun on a cold winter day. We need more words like apricity. This was a last minute decision to record and include on the album, and I'm so glad I did.

Capturing the feeling of an unexpected bit of luck, like finding some change in your pocket.

I wrote this recalling my first day in New Zealand. As the sun set there was a particularly beautiful sunset and an inquisitive alpaca at my window. This was also my first attempt at writing a song in the Travis picking style.

Capturing the joy of spending time with Ana and our dogs. The tremolo section is inspired by one of my favorite classical guitar songs, Recuerdos de la Alhambra.

The feeling of hanging on to summer for as long as possible. Remembering fun summers when I worked at summer camp as a counselor and songleader.

Hebrew for "I lift my eyes". From a beautiful text that describes humility and looking up to the mountains for guidance. An unintentional bookend as we look up to the stars and somehow end on a chord that is in key with the beginning of Pale Blue Dot.