Artist Statement
There are few times I find myself to be more at peace then when I am playing music. Playing a haunting slow air as the snow falls in winter, or a set of reels as a crowded audience claps together in a pub, these are the moments I feel most alive and connected to my fellow man and the world around me. Nothing exists outside those present moments, the creation of something meaningful is all that matters.
Having traveled to Ireland and Scotland, I was fortunate enough to experience the music of those countries, and to see how it is such a communal event, it was different then everything I had seen until then. Before my travels, there had always been an “us” and “them”, the audience and the performers. There was a sincerity and honesty about the sessions of these countries that I would love to see manifested in my own culture. My greatest lesson from these experiences is that the performers should not be separated from the audience even if they happen to be on a stage, we are all performers and audiences together, at the same time, whether we happen to be making the music or just tapping our foot to the beat of it while we drink a pint, we are bonded in these moments and whatever is manifested, we built it together.
There are many reasons I select the pieces I do. Often times it is the obvious immediate appeal of the tune or song, a captivating rhythm or melody. But there are times when even if there is no immediate call, a piece may hold the potential to convey an emotion, story, or message which I find honest in its own way. Sometimes I will learn a piece simply because I know that the community as a whole holds it in high regard. I will learn such a piece to contribute to the collective preservation of people from a different time and place so that their feelings, stories and views of the world may continue on instead of becoming lost to time, so that we may reflect on them and by virtue of understanding who they were, maybe try and better understand who we ourselves are.
In past eras, the musicians were considered the most dangerous members of a society by invading armies. They were the torchbearers who carried on the culture, told the stories, and united societies. While we may no longer live in a time where a bard will meet a hangmans noose without even having a trial, I still consider musicianship a sacred duty, to continue the tradition and carry the torch onward as those who came before me did. To connect us together and unite us. To force us to be simultaneously forward thinking and reflective. To ease our sorrows, celebrate our victories, and enjoy a few precious moments as we make our way through the world.
Bio
Hi, my name is Brandon. Thanks for taking a moment to learn about me. I'm a life long student and practitioner of music and travel.
I spent several years studying at the Washington, D.C. Conservatory of Music at Glen Echo park. i hold degree’s in songwriting at both the b.a and m.a. level from berklee college of music. i have studied music abroad in Ireland several times and am an adamant believer in the power of music and community to impact change and its importance relevant to “the human condition”.
I enjoy Stoic philosophy by Marcus Aurelias, Seneca, and Epictetus. I enjoy Scotch (Oban and Lagavulin preferred) and on a rainy day, a bowl of Virginia tobacco drawn from a Meerschaum pipe.
I'm an actively serving Army veteran of 18 years and dedicated martial artist (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt) and fitness enthusiast.
Countries wandered to: Scotland x 2, Ireland x 4, France, Austria, Germany x 3, Belgium, Portugal, Morocco, England, Czech Republic, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Vatican, Vietnam, Laos, China, Mexico x 2, Canada x 3, Iraq x 2, Costa Rico, Peru, Italy x 2, Switzerland, U.SA, Mongolia, Bosnia, tunisia.