Since the very beginning of playing music I walked around my home town playing music to keep my sanity.
I went to Bloomington, Indiana in 2007, I was 19. I thought I would never want to leave. The city was filled with a youthful energy that I had never experienced. There were plenty of alternative looking folks and street musicians out on street corners and I felt like I had just hit the jackpot. I ended up spending 7 years of my life there.
A WILD HISTORY
It was fall of 2010 when I met Brad Cox. He was a very intelligent and friendly guy that could always make you laugh but had a very serious contemplation of the world around him. He had big dreams and to me he was brilliant. We moved in together a few months later and we began playing music. We both loved playing music on street corners. This relationship continued like this over the next year. In the following winter we began trying to pull more people together to play music with us and we met Johanna Powers.
In the early spring of 2012 Brad, Johanna and I got together at Brad's cabin to record the songs that we had been practicing with the help of Brad's father, Steve. After recording Brad and I had a conversation about a title for our newly formed band, after several goofy and very hippy sounding titles we came up with Wildflower Union. I have kept that title for my music ever since, even though shortly after recording we stopped playing music together regularly.
Towards the end of the age of free musical love and community in the heart of Bloomington I met a girl that had plans to travel around the US and then back to France at the end of the summer. I was happy to be a part of those plans. Through August traveled from Indiana to California. In September we flew to France. We have been together now for three years and every season seems to be more interesting than the last.
In a few short months I had decided to quit my job to dedicate all of my time to making a living through my art. I had a new driving force to get out and perform: I had a CD.
I continued on with my long obsession with street performance and crafted a one man band set up.
The absense of Bradley's Cajon rythms led to developing a kickdrum and tamborine foot percussion set up, also a marraca tied to the right hand. The absense of Joanna's Viola melodies led to the throat tromnet (or mouth trumpet).
In the summer of 2012 I began a relationship with Constance Maurgarite, theatre jack of all trades, actor, artist and singer. From the very beginning she was interested in being a part of the project. At first to make art and later to write songs and perform.
Jon Peters, a talented percussionist and lovely human joined us Feb. 2013. We practiced regularly and performed together. A few months later Constance and I split up and I resumed my one-man band set up.
In the fall of 2013 I learned of a local musicians art organization, The Grant St. Musician's Co-op, would close down if they did not find more volunteers. By the second meeting I attended I had decided that I would help for as long as I was needed. It was there that a learned many things about the world of music, social organizing and love for my community. That year would prove to be the most challenging and rewarding of my life to date.