How does your cultural background influence your daily life and decision-making?
To be honest, I tend to not to dwell on this very much. Not to imply that it’s not extremely important, it’s just that I try to focus my daily life and decision-making around what I can do to better myself and those around me. However, I do recognize the privilege I have been raised with. Also, it should be noted that being aware, recognizing, and respecting those from other cultural backgrounds is paramount if we want to see progress.
What does wellness mean to you, and how do you prioritize it in your daily life?
Wellness is extremely important. You simply can’t put a price tag on the importance of taking the time to recognize what you need and what actions to take to achieve overall physical and mental wellness. My family provides a healthy support system, and I am constantly trying to prioritize wellness in my life; however, sometimes when you have small kids and a lot of competing obligations, self-care and wellness take a back seat. With that said, I’m always trying to reflect and improve.
Are there specific wellness rituals or practices that you swear by for maintaining balance and harmony?
I can’t say there are any wellness rituals and practices that I swear by; however, I know that meditation and regular exercise work wonders both physically and mentally. I’m striving to get both of those rituals into my daily routine.
Describe your relationship with food. Are you a foodie, a health enthusiast, or a bit of both?
I love food. Almost all of it!! I can’t say that I am a health enthusiast, but I talk about wanting to eat healthy a lot!! I love cooking as well. I’m not really one to follow strict recipes as I love to improvise and try new things when cooking.
Do you have a favorite cuisine or dish that holds a special place in your heart?
I love BBQ/smoked meats, a New York stye pizza, and amazing salty crispy French fries, but I’d have to say that often, when going out to dinner, not speaking of a fancy French restaurant, is a good old-fashioned burger!
Are you a sports enthusiast, and if so, which sports do you follow or participate in?
I am a sports enthusiast! In fact, my first love was baseball. I grew up playing as much baseball as I could get my hands on. I’d like to personally take a moment to thank my parents for all the chasing they did for me when I was growing up. To further clarify “chasing”, my mom would pitch me hundreds and hundreds of wiffle balls and would happily chase all my line drives while my dad would catch for me in my pitching days and would chase after all my wild pitches. I also grew up playing tennis and eventually became better at tennis than baseball. I ended up playing tennis in college and taught lessons in the Summer for several years after graduating.
Do you have a favorite sports team or athlete that you passionately support?
I am a big Philadelphia sports fan. Growing up about 45 minutes outside of Philly, I grew up rooting for the Phillies, Eagles, 76ers, and Flyers. Now that I live in Norther California, I order the MLB and Sunday Ticket packages so I can catch all the games I can.
Lets go Birds and Phils!!
What’s your all-time favorite movie, and what about it resonates with you?
I have a lot of favorite movies so it’s hard to pin just one down, but only a few that when I see it’s on, I’ll turn it on and watch. Those consist of Goodfellas, Rocky I through IV, and Step Brothers.
Do you have a preferred movie genre, or do you enjoy exploring a variety of genres?
Well, from the movies I just listed, you can probably tell that I’m all over the place, so I do enjoy exploring a variety of genres. I enjoy comedies, musical documentaries, and watching true crime documentaries with my wife.
Can you recall a film that has had a significant influence on your perspective or outlook on life?
During the pandemic, Pixar released an animated film called “Soul” that really resonated with me. I watched it with my boys, who call it, “Blue Guy”. I thought this movie was eye opening to me as I could relate with the main character, a jazz pianist that dreamed of making it big. While on his journey towards stardom, he was so focused on his dreams that he was blind to everything else in his life that was passing him by. It took him nearly dying to recognize the importance of slowing down and appreciating everything around him.
I feel as a parent this concept struck a chord (no pun intended) with me to realize that even when things are crazy and life throws you curve balls, challenges, and extremely difficult hurdles, that it’s most likely only temporary. While I am focused on my music career, I need to also focus on the fact that my children are only this age for a certain time and then they will grow up. I only have the right here and right now with them and I need to make the most of it. Life is short and sometimes we all need to stop and smell the roses.
What is your favorite album of all time?
Much like my answer for movies, I can’t say that I have a number one album. I tend to have different favorite albums for the different periods of my life. Albums that bring back nostalgia and prompt reflection. My honorable mentions are as follows: Radiohead -The Bends, Ben Folds Five – The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, Led Zeppelin IV, Alice in Chains – Jar of Flies, Bon Iver – For Emma Forever Ago, Alison Harris – Smoke Rings in the Sky, Coldplay – Parachutes, Jeff Beck – Blow by Blow, Leo Kottke – Burnt Lips, Dave Matthews Band – Crash, Neil Young – Harvest Moon, and Pink Floyd – Meddle are just a few that are coming to my mind at the moment. I’m seriously all over the place, huh? I honestly could go on and on and I know I’m missing a ton!
Tell us about your latest project
I’m currently working on an EP called “Summer in Dewey” that is scheduled to be released in Summer 2024. Growing up in Delaware, my grandparents had a beach house in Dewey Beach, which was about an hour and a half drive from where I lived. I would spend many summers taking weekend trips there and still to this day my family and I still visit. I used this project to reminisce on the specific area and dive into the thoughts and emotions tied to being single, and finding love, and seeing a potential future develop. It’s a fun listen and is filled with “Summer” vibes.
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Mike Strickland and Brandon Harris again, who both contributed to my Christmas album “Night Divine”. Further, my uber talented cousin John B Hedges also makes an appearance on keys. I’m grateful to be surrounded by such amazing and talented friends and family. I hope you dig the album!
Thank you again so much for taking the time to interview me today!
