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When Jim Brickman began taking piano lessons at the age of five, his first teacher reported to the boy’s parents that he showed little promise as a future pianist. The student didn’t follow directions. He did things his own way. I can think of four reasons why Jim’s first teacher thought so little of his potential. Either the boy was unusually rebellious, lacking in talent, or mentally ill. The fourth reason proved to be the right one. Jim was born with extraordinary talent. Fast forward a half-century. Jim Brickman is known as one of the world’s foremost Romantic songwriters and solo pianists. Brickman started his career writing advertising jingles. To call the man persistent is probably an understatement. To his credit, Jim has recorded twenty-one number-one albums, thirty-two top radio hits, and he has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. He is also a published author and appears on his own radio show, “The Jim Brickman Hour.” Not bad for a kid with no potential.  Many of Jim’s songs have been covered by leading pop singers such as Carley Simon, Olivia Newton-John, Johnny Mathis, Kenny Logins, and others. “The Love of My Life” is one of Jim’s better-known and typically beautiful songs. I’ve adapted it for the acoustic guitar. Here’s my version. By Developing the Habit of Focus and Discipline, You Will See Your Dreams Come True. #unity #satisfaction #recognition #happiness #talent #loverelationships #Joy #beloved #popmusic #lovesongs #pianosolo #unification #love #pianist #oneness #gratitude #romanticsongs #romance #passion #togetherness #inspiration #guitarplaying #singing #appreciation

Jim Brickman at the Los Angeles Gracie Awards in 2013 Jim Brickman collaborated with Tom Douglas to write “The Gift.” Jim wrote the melody and Tom wrote the lyrics. Listening to many of Jim’s love songs, I can’t help but think that the man has a heart the size of Kansas. I found an entertaining video on YouTube describing the story behind the making of The Gift. In the video, Jim reveals a healthy sense of humor about himself, and Tom tells the story with a healthy dose of humor. Here’s an edited version of the story’s opening. For the full version, click here. Jim: “The Gift is the first song I wrote with Tom. It just felt right from the beginning. I have a recollection of our first meeting, but it’s not very clear. I’d like Tom to give his version of the story.” Tom: “Mine’s not gonna be very flattering.” Jim: “That’s alright. They know me.” Tom: “So, I get a call from my agent saying I have America’s foremost Romantic songwriter and pianist who wants you to do a song with him. Needless to say, I was more than a little intimidated. I’d just moved to Nashville with my family, and I was nervous about everything. So, I walk in to meet Jim for the first time, and he’s matter-of-fact. ‘Hi. Good to meet you.’ That sort of thing. Then he starts in with, ‘I have this song with a title, The Gift. Here’s the goal: I want it to be spiritual, but not religious, seasonal, but not Christmas, and, I want it to be a love song.’ " Tom (continued): “So, I’m thinking to myself, I made a terrible mistake leaving my hometown of Dallas. I was kinda like stunned, and Jim goes, ‘Here’s the melody. I’d like the syllables of the words to match the music.’ “And I’m thinking, really? Anything else? So, he goes ahead and plays the melody and I record it. Then he says, ‘Oh. One last thing: I need it by tomorrow.’ " And so on. Let’s get to the music. Here’s my version. #spiritual #acousticguitar #happiness #countrymusic #Joy #beloved #fingerpicking #beauty #popmusic #relationships #lovesongs #love #pianist #gratitude #pianomusic #guitar #romanticsongs #romance #passion

You might expect there to be, like the Hallmark cards, an overabundance of love songs about valentines. Well, I’m here to tell you there ain’t. Jim Brickman sought to rectify the situation when he co-wrote the song “Valentine” with Jack Kugell. “I thought it was odd that for a day or for a word that is such a euphemism for love that there wasn’t a song that celebrated it, considering that most songs are love songs,” Brickman said in an interview. “The word ‘valentine’ is a euphemism for love or a replacement word for love, so I wrote it like, you are my love, only the song says, you are my valentine.” Jim selected Country and Western singer Martina McBride to sing “Valentine” on his album “Picture This” which he released in 1997. Brickman said he selected McBride because he thought she sang like an Angel when he heard her debut album. I would have to agree with him. To paraphrase, Brickman has said he feels that his music can go with anyone’s music collection. “We have different songs for different occasions. My songs are for romantic occasions.” I would agree with Brickman there too. Here’s my cover. #happiness #dreams #lovesong #MartinaMcBride #piano #Joy #beloved #fingerpicking #romantic #beauty #popmusic #relationships #guitarpicking #reflections #valentine #peace #love #gratitude #romance #romancesongs #passion #inspiration

The police are at the front door of the beach house to investigate a strange report. An unconscious body lies on the kitchen floor. Two Daytona Police deputies are knocking on the front door of the beach house mystery writer Jacob Cassel rents. It’s going to be an interesting morning for Jacob, his super-smart girlfriend, Amy, and Arcon, an AI from the other side of the Milky Way. If they can survive the morning without being thrown in jail, they are expecting a visitor from the planet Aneleya to arrive later in the evening bearing a cornucopia of gifts for the human race. Instead of gifts, the visitor arrives with dire news about a doomsday device threatening the destruction of planet Earth and the entire solar system. Welcome aboard for this suspenseful interstellar journey in the third volume of The Silver Sphere Series. The three volumes of the Silver Sphere Series can be read independently and in any order. Available Now On Amazon Worldwide #warships #aliens #BeachHouse #doomsdaydevice #SpaceTravel #invasion #wormhole #writer #artificialintelligence #apocalypse #humor #outerspace #warinoputerspace #technology #relationships #novelist #alientechnology #beaches #DouglasAdams #alieninvasion #love #starships #spaceexploration #TerryPratchett #lightspeed #aliengifts #alienconquest #doomsday #spaceships

When Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac, the band had been in a state of constant turnover. Originally a blues band, the group was as famous for its revolving door of guitarists and vocalists as it was for its handful of hits. Because of its changing lineup, the band had no signature sound. Fortunately, the addition of Buckingham and Nicks was just what Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and his then-wife Christine McVie needed to achieve the group’s long-overdue success. The duo gave the band new energy, a unique and recognizable vocal sound, and material that would become part of Fleetwood Mac’s identity, like the song“Landslide.” A song about the changes and challenges of life , Stevie Nicks wrote “Landslide” in 1974 in Aspen’s snow country when her then-boyfriend, Lindsey Buckingham, was on tour. Nicks has said in interviews that the song is about her romance with Buckingham and their career struggles, as well as her relationship with her business-executive father. Her months in the mountains helped to inspire the song’s title contained in the lines:  And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills/‘Til the landslide brought me down. Another verse contains questions that most of us ask ourselves at one time or another: Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changing ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life? While they may sound simple, the introspection of these words resonated with millions of record buyers and helped to make the debut album by this Fleetwood Mac cast one of the best-selling albums of the 1970s. How great musicians like Lindsey Buckingham create original compositions like this one is beyond my understanding. His guitar accompaniment on this song is a testament to his extraordinary talent. Here’s my cover of “Landslide.” Love is the Truth of the Heart #beautiful #guitarstyle #lifechanges #happiness #musicoftheseventies #passages #LindseyBuckingham #Aspen #Joy #beauty #relationships #reflections #peace #StevieNicks #love #innerpeace

Buy It Now on Amazon or Your Favorite Online Retailer A vailable in e-Book and Paperback Formats T he Silver Sphere Trilogy is updated and thoroughly edited for your reading pleasure. Read and enjoy the entire story in one book. A two-chapter introduction to “ Time Terminus—Expect the Unexpected” is included as a bonus. The story begins with mystery writer Jacob Casell strolling on a moonlit beach contemplating the ending of his over-due manuscript. When Jacob stumbles across a shiny silver sphere, the artificial intelligence inside speaks to him telepathically. Jacob’s startling discovery is only the beginning of a real-life adventure that goes beyond anything his creative imagination has ever conceived. An apocalyptic event is hurtling toward the Earth at the speed of light, and there is no time to waste. The odds of surviving the catastrophe are shrinking by the second. “ The Silver Sphere: It’s Coming–No Time to Waste” is the first book in the series. The story continues in book 2: “ Cataclysm: End of Worlds” and concludes in book 3: “ Promise of the Visitor.” “A delightful romp with spaceships, suspense, and assorted aliens.” Kirkus Reviews #aliens #writing #read #SpaceTravel #thrillers #trilogy #starship #writer #artificialintelligence #apocalypse #catastrophe #reading #feelings #humor #loverelationships #bestseller #relationships #alientechnology #Mystery #spaceship #team #books #imagination #WaroftheWorlds #AI #fiction #adventure #inspiration #suspense #teamwork

If in our daily life, we can smile; if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work. Thich Nhat Hanh #satisfaction #happiness #consciousness #wisdom #Joy #purpose #beauty #spirituality #relationships #reflections #fulfillment #spiritualwisdom #peace #love #innerpeace

Whatever you are doing, relax. With an effortless effort and a well-directed intention, it will all work out. #awakeaction #efficiency #efficient #happiness #consciousness #ease #effective #Joy #effectiveaction #awaken #meditation #reflections #peace #love #innerpeace #relaxation #awakening

Jackson Browne’s music is lyrical and penetrating. He is a poet as well as a prolific songwriter, musician, and vocalist. I became a long-time fan upon hearing his hit song, “These Days.” The song appears in the inspirational film “Invincible,” a story about an average guy who eventually realized his dream of playing in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles. Most of Browne’s music is bitter-sweet. “My Opening Farewell” is a fine example. The melody, lyrics, and guitar technique are evocative. The song is played in an open D tuning which Browne uses brilliantly to paint pictures, emotions, and moods. I feel it is sad/beautiful, like the woman described in the song. It’s about one of Browne’s early love relationships that lasted a few years. In an interview, Browne had this to say about the relationship and the meaning of My Opening Farewell: “Elektra [Records] had this recording ranch up in northern California and we stayed at this hotel. And a train ran by it. So: ‘there’s a train every day, leaving either way,’ and the whole idea [being] that you could go one way or the other. And this relationship was struggling. The song is about the particular moment when you recognize that the person you love wants to be anywhere else. Wants to be gone; wants to move on.” Here’s my cover. #lyrical #happiness #guitartechnique #lyrics #solos #heartfelt #Joy #beauty #popmusic #relationships #reflections #songs #peace #vocals #love #breakingup #singer #songwriter #heart

Have you heard of Steve Gillette? If you were alive in the 1960s and liked folk music, there’s a chance the name rings a bell. Gillette never reached the top of the charts, but he’s a very talented singer/songwriter. Many of his songs have been performed by artists you have heard of including John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, Ian and Sylvia, Nanci Griffith, and Linda Ronstadt. The Bells in the Evening appears on Gillette’s debut album released in 1967. The album, simply titled “Steve Gillette,” stands as one of Steve’s finest recordings. “The Bells” is a bittersweet (actually sweet bitter) song of love blossoming in the spring and fading away in the fall. It’s a song full of immense joy and sorrow that combine in a mixture of incredible beauty. The song is also replete with imagery. When you listen, what images come to your mind? I’ve revisited “The Bells in the Evening” adding some embellishments and the sound of my new guitar. Here’s my cover. #brokenheart #acousticguitar #memories #happiness #guitartechnique #music #feelings #loverelationships #Joy #relationships #reflections #lovedone #peace #vocals #love #emotions #heart #inspiration

Everything will come to you in its due time. Do you want peace? It will come to you. Do you want love? It will come to you. Do you want joy? It will come to you. All you have to do is keep intending and act on your intentions. Then, reap the rewards of what you have sown. And then, keep intending and acting. #success #trustinbeing #trust #happiness #consciousness #confidence #Joy #attraction #Faith #meditation #reflections #peace #love #innerpeace #accomplish #manifesting #contemplation #manifest #heart #accomplishments #relaxation #universallaw #desire #goals

“Sky Blue and Black” by Jackson Browne is an emotional roller coaster looking back on the joys and sorrows of love and its lasting impact. Browne wrote the song over a four-year period and released it on his album “I’m Alive” in 1992. The source material comes from Jackson’s relationship with a famous actress. However, Browne never wants his songs to be identified with his specific life events, so he rarely speaks about his real-life relationships, especially in context with his music. “It’s a drag to even imagine that people are thinking about [the] relationship instead of their own lives,” Jackson told the Los Angeles Times . “I think if a song is any good, eventually it’ll turn out to be about the life of the listener and not about the life of the writer. Anyway, that’s my hope.” Here’s my cover of “Sky Blue and Black”. #people #lyricalpoetry #acousticguitar #memories #guitartechnique #separation #heartfelt #popmusic #relationships #reflections #songs #poetry #issues #songwriting #vocals #JacksonBrowne #love #oneness #breakingup #life #guitar #songwriter #poems #emotions #heart