How old are you?
I love when people guess! Some hints: I am the same age as Madonna’s Like a Prayer album, Disney’s original Little Mermaid movie, and Taylor Swift.
What microphone is that?
It’s a Telefunken M80. They have so many colors! Here’s a list of all my other gear.
How long have you been live streaming?
Believe it or not, I’ve been live streaming from my living room since 2018. I started on YouNow as a way to practice improvising and faking song requests from memory. I streamed casually for a couple years, then suddenly I had a lot of spare time in 2020, so I went live every day. I was a partner on YouNow for three years, then I switched to Twitch in 2023 to join the growing music community. Now I am balancing Twitch with live shows in person, so I’m back to streaming casually, but I still really love it.
How long have you been playing music?
I’ve been singing forever and playing piano for almost ever, over 30 years now. I took lessons from 5-13yrs old at a fun and intense music conservatory where I was in classes 3-4 nights/week after school, plus lots of recitals and competitions. As I got more interested in songwriting and boys, eventually I rebelled and turned away from classical music, but I never stopped playing. I studied music in college, majoring in voice, piano, and composition. I’ve been a full-time musician out in the wild since 2013.
Beyond piano, I have dabbled in guitar since I was 14 years old. I got serious in 2023 when I started guitar lessons online with Rob Garland. I’ve also been playing drums since 2015 and take drum lessons with Chris Belin.
Are you in a band?
I work for Howl at the Moon in Pittsburgh. We’re a super group of five multi-instrumental entertainers who take requests from the audience to get everyone singing, dancing, and howling. We don’t really have a band name, we just call ourselves Howl Pitt Band. Come visit us sometime!
In college I was in a heavy metal band called Perpetuate. Recently I’ve been writing some songs with Mike the drummer and Chris the guitarist to potentially record a comeback album. That’s all the news I have so far but I hope to have more soon!
When are you releasing new music?
I love songwriting but recording really intimidates me. I have a crop of songs I’ve been tinkering with on and off for the past decade. I’m determined to turn them into a solo album someday, but I keep psyching myself out. It’s easy for me to get excited about projects with friends, and a lot harder to believe in the things I make on my own. Keep asking me! Maybe one day I’ll have an answer.
Can you learn a song for me?
I don’t do live learns on stream because (a) I am bad at it and (b) I won’t listen to any records I don’t own the rights to while I’m live streaming. I’m part of an organization for music industry advocacy and we are always battling tech companies who exploit songwriters and artists. The only way I’ll do a live learn is if you save your channel points and I’ll mute the audio while I’m listening. Even then, I might reject it if I don’t feel like the song is a good match for me.
However, I love learning song requests in my spare time, especially for regulars. You can tell me your favorite song request in the chat or send it to me as a DM. If I feel like I know your song request at least 40%, I might fake it from memory, even if it’s just the chorus. No promises but I’ll try my best!
Can you teach me music?
Sadly I don’t have time to teach private music lessons anymore. If that changes in the future, I’ll definitely let you know!
In the meantime, here are some of my favorite online resources for learning music. Theta Music Trainer is full of addicting mini-games and courses for music theory and ear training. Yousician is excellent for beginners on guitar, bass, ukulele, or piano who want to learn to play songs while keeping the learning process light-hearted and fun. If you’re intermediate on piano, check out Piano with Johnny. If you’re intermediate on guitar, check out TrueFire. For drums, Drumeo has great masterclasses, courses, and charts. Finally, if you’re getting into recording and need to train your ears for mixing, check out Sound Gym.
Can you help me write a song?
Right now I’m taking a break from meeting with new cowriters to focus on my existing projects. If that changes, I’ll be sure to let you know!
If you’re asking this question, I encourage you to dig a little deeper. Songwriting is an art form with lots of different elements combined. What part do you need help with? Maybe it would help to learn about music theory, or rhyme scheme, or storytelling. When you’re starting out, the most important thing is to build the habit of creativity. Maybe at first you just write titles or haiku. Then shift gears and practice writing only chord progressions. If you’re stuck on a specific part of a song you’re writing, the chat and I can try to help you brainstorm through it.
My favorite resources for songwriting are by Pat Pattison. If you’ve written less than 10 songs, start with his book Songwriting Without Boundaries. If you’ve written between 10-30 songs, check out Writing Better Lyrics. If you’ve written more than 30 songs, join me at an NSAI meeting sometime for song feedback!
Where are you from?
I was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, aka South Detroit. I’ve been living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for 10 years. I have dual citizenship, so I’m both Canadian and American.
If you’re asking my ethnicity, my mom is Korean-American and my dad is Scottish/French-Canadian. But in general this is a bad question and you should stop asking it, especially if you’re a man interested in women. It tends to put a lot of women on the defensive, bracing for racist or objectifying comments. I certainly felt that way for many years; now I just don’t care enough to get upset, so I’ll educate you. There are many better questions if you want to get to know someone or say you find them attractive. Try “I like your hair/smile/style” or “What have you been excited about lately?” as opening lines instead. These are more likely to generate positive responses that you can turn into genuine conversation.
What’s your cat’s name?
The white cat with brown and grey patches often seen on the couch or chair is Chief. I also have a black and white tuxedo cat named Boomer, but he’s more shy and rarely appears on camera. They’re named after Battlestar Galactica and they’re 12 years old.
What do your tattoos mean?
The melody on my right wrist is Stetit Puella from Carmina Burana. I sang this soprano solo in choir the year I graduated, on the same night that Perpetuate released our first record. It’s one of my fondest memories so I got this tattoo to commemorate it.
The infinity sign or number 8 on my left hand has multiple meanings to me, from math to mysticism. It’s a reminder of the continuous cycle of life and death, creation and destruction. That’s also why 8 has always felt like a lucky number for me, and why you’ll see it in my usernames online.
What’s your sign?
I’m a Capricorn sun, Taurus moon, and Virgo rising. I love astrology a lot, especially the moon.
Do you have a boyfriend?
Trying to define how I feel about love has been the journey of a lifetime. I’ve never liked labels, but I am starting to see their value as a practical shorthand when getting to know people. The closest words I’ve found to describe myself are polyamorous, demisexual, and heteromantic. I see love as an abundant resource and I like to let relationships evolve to take whatever form feels right. For me the line between friendship and romance is always somewhat blurry, and I don’t prioritize romantic connections above platonic ones. It sounds hopelessly idealistic and it is.
I have a long distance partner who is also polyamorous, a few guys who like to take me out on dates despite my warnings, and lots of exes who are still good friends or at least tolerate me. I’m a relentless flirt and I love drama. If you have a crush on me, proceed with caution.
Do you believe in god?
I say I am an agnostic existentialist. I believe that the truth is unknowable and storytelling is at the core of human nature. I’ve witnessed too many miracles to not believe in something, so I choose to believe in belief. I was raised in the Christian church and still go almost every Sunday because I love worship and prayer. I also love Taoism, magick, Discordianism, and the scientific method. I try to hold my beliefs lightly and keep an open mind, so my worldview continues to grow as I learn.
Do you have a Discord server?
I do not have a Discord server, but I do write a newsletter once/month with creative prompts, works in progress, and what I’m learning. You’ll also get first access for new music releases and free tickets to songwriters rounds in Pittsburgh. Enter your email below to join the list!