My Story

Early Roots

I’ve been writing poetry since I was a kid. In middle school, I loved rhyming words, crafting clever lines, and writing feel-good poems that made people smile. But for years, poetry was just a quiet hobby, tucked away in notebooks and in my heart.

Recovery & Rediscovery

Everything changed in early recovery. After asking a judge to allow me into a six-month inpatient rehab program (truth be told, it sounded better than sitting in jail), I was given a simple suggestion: “Put pen to paper.” Journaling, they said, would help me work through the guilt and shame of my past.

But instead of journaling, I started writing poetry again. My very first poem in recovery was called “I’m a Grateful Alcoholic” — inspired by a man in my meeting who began every share with those same words. That poem now hangs on the wall of the very treatment center where I found sobriety, and it later became the title of my self-published book on Amazon.

From there came “Once Upon a Time” — my first deeply personal piece. And just like that, I realized poetry had become my way of processing life. I kept writing, gathering words from things I saw, heard, felt, or imagined, and eventually self-published my book of poems.

A Song for Mom

Fast forward 10 years into sobriety. My mom passed away after a long battle with cancer, and for her Celebration of Life, I wrote “If Heaven Had a Telephone.” It was deeply personal — a way to grieve and to imagine just one more conversation with her. For a long time, it stayed in the notes app on my phone, something I would read when I missed her.

But then it dawned on me: not everyone connects with poetry. Music, though — music reaches people in a different way.

From Poetry to Music

I had seen new apps that could turn lyrics into full songs, and out of curiosity, I decided to try it. The first poem I tested was “Once Upon a Time.” Hearing it transformed into a song floored me. Then I tried “If Heaven Had a Telephone.” The moment I heard it set to music, I cried — it felt like a gift I could give back to my mom.

From that moment, I was hooked. I went back through all of my recovery poetry and realized so much of it could become music — songs that carried messages of hope, faith, and healing.

Today

In October 2024, I released my first song. Since then, I’ve released 29 songs across every major platform — Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and YouTube. My catalog now spans recovery anthems, faith-based songs, tributes, and songs about love and life’s struggles.

I may not be the one singing, but every lyric, melody, and arrangement begins with me. Poetry gave me a voice when I felt silenced. Music gave me a way to share it with the world.

At the heart of it all is one truth: no matter how far we fall, we can be Made Brand New.