Why exactly do I consider music much more than mere entertainment? From Little Dragon, to Imogen Heap, to Maxwell, to Chrisette, to Michael, to Jefferson, to Celine, to Jay, to Jeezy, to Biggie, to Beethoven, to Aerosmith, to U2, to Adele, to Erykah, music has proven itself to be the most promising medium for messages that can influence the inner workings of culture. Music is literally spiritual sonic chemistry that provides a window into the soul of not only its creator, but the listener. When we press 'play' as listeners, our souls enter into a conversation with the soul of that creator. That odd feeling we can't describe when we 'vibe' to music is the feeling of our souls being exposed and communicated to. On a grand scale, those who have the opportunity to enter into conversations with millions of listeners also facilitate conversations between those exposed souls of the listeners themselves. And with these conversations, each musical artifact comes to mobilize a group of like-minded/like-souled individuals. Otherwise known as cultures. In other words, music has the ability to transcend cultural barriers like race, sexuality, religion, etc…and draw new cultural lines based on similarities within the soul.

Heartbreakers will always be heartbreakers. Gossip will always be gossip. Love will always be love. These things won't change anytime soon. But music has the ability to change our approach to things in this life that are beyond our control.

When my grandfather died in 2010, I was put in charge of the music for the funeral. It was at this moment that the importance of music actually hit me to my core. How could I convey sadness and the reality of the situation without trumping hope and encouragement? But how could I inspire without ignoring the sorrow in my family's eyes? As a long winded individual, I appreciated the opportunity to do all I was charged to do with one simple song, instead of a powerful sermon, something my Dad always excelled at. At that point, I realized my role as a musician in society was being prescribed before my very eyes.

Then life hit, and I was shown the darker side to this blessing as a musician. As creators, we are naturally aligned to output and share. We desire to pour our hearts out into our medium and be fully expressed and understood. Then, in other, more 'pragmatic' situational jewels that life presents us, we attempt to take the same approach. The only problem with that is there is rarely anything equal coming back in; insufficient fuel for a healthy soul and subsequent healthy creativity. We drain ourselves of our precious energy in an attempt to positively influence those we 'vibe' with, and we often fall through the cracks while attempting to do so. Eventually, not realizing how important it is to value input over output...makes output no longer an option. It inevitably becomes imperative to release and restart.

My ‘Grape Vine' is a story of this journey and a warning to those who are similarly aligned. We have hearts of gold and minds of steel; strong and smart enough to explore and experience true, unadulterated, pure, and painful love. Where we need to exercise caution and militancy in this journey is in the maintenance of a healthy balance between input and output. That’s my message.

Completing the project allowed me to tell just a few of the many secrets I've collected throughout this journey, while realizing what those secrets mean for me and also those who share my soul. I aimed to compose an ethereal style of music with hypnotic and spiritual qualities in order for the listener to go beyond the lyrics and dive into the actual experience of my struggles with love. My ‘Grape Vine’ is not supposed to be a tell all memoir (I'll write one of those one day...). Instead, it's supposed to showcase the transcending power of song. Some will hate it, and that's still a legitimate soulful reaction to my attempts at conversation. On top of the showcase, though, putting out my first project actually allows me a release, a restart, and finally an opportunity to be held accountable to my own philosophies. As a musical journal, it serves as a reminder of where I have been and to where I never want to return. It serves as a reminder for us that at least there's a certainty, given to us in this casino called life. And that is: the ever present inevitability of progress. Enjoy. -T