It’s always a wonderful experience when we get to hang out with Barry Brake and Nathan Cone at TPR. This time we promoted our upcoming performance of La Malinche | Traitor Savior at Opera Austin Festival this Saturday November 16th at 9pm.

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This is a special one for me. Before I get into the background story, I’d like to thank a lot of friends who helped bring this song to life. For starters, Garrett T. Capps brilliant vision in producing this song, Lucas Oswald for the killer mix, Bill Baird for engineering and his rad mic that made my vocals so warm, my bestie Kory Cook on drums, Odie on bass/vocals and the legendary B.J. Cole (Elton John, Depeche Mode, R.E.M) on pedal steel. Thanks to Scott Langford for directing the video and to ALL my friends that came and volunteered their time to be extras at The Lonesome Rose. It warmed my heart and part of why I love San Antonio.

For those interested in the backstory – Rewind five years. During the fall of 2019, my career was on this exciting upward trajectory in which I was at the beginning of my opera composing career with three of my first immersive operas in three different cities, my first film exhibition, a symphony performing my music in Orlando and I was going to spend a week in Denmark at a castle for a composers workshop. But on the inside I was going through heavy heart ache related to a past relationship that lingered for years. I keep my personal life and feelings pretty close to the vest but after losing 50 lbs and my doctor telling me if I lost any more that it could jeopardize my organs I decided to reach out to my dear friend Shane. His advice was that I had to sit in my pain and face it. The months ahead were tough. I remember visiting my mom, being in her car as she backed out of her driveway, my sunglasses on, her asking if I was ok and trying hard to nod while holding back tears and then just completely losing it. I still choke up remembering that moment. She stopped the car, put her arms around me and didn’t prod. She just told me she loved me and that she would be there for me however I needed.

The beginning of 2020 was met with excitement. While I was still on my healing journey I knew the toughest hurdles were behind me. I felt raw and vulnerable but filled with positivity. Then when the pandemic hit I found myself alone and isolated in my home but I didn’t feel pain or loneliness. This is when I knew my journey in the fall was real. With so much time on my hands and no operas to prepare for, I picked up my guitar. I used to play daily for fifteen years and wrote songs all the time for my old bands but now my hands felt paralyzed. I kept playing daily to have fun and that’s when some songs started to develop. Out to Dance was my goodbye song. About letting go. Remembering where my heart was, accepting my feelings and not running from them. I choked up as the lyrics came into focus knowing I could channel the past without it sending me into a downward spiral. I wrote a few more songs early in the pandemic. Didn’t think much of them but thankfully I demo’d them. The last four years I’ve been producing operas all over the country but at the end of 2023, I started feeling really burnt out and creatively empty. I came across a hard drive that had those demo’s I made during the pandemic. I sent one to Garrett to see if he’d be interested in working with me to record it and I’m so happy he agreed. I wanted to be hands off and let Garrett have room to be creative. There was no rush which worked for both of our busy schedules. Over the spring we talked about the overall sound and approach and eventually went to track at Bill Baird’s studio. I realized how much I missed hanging out in the studio. It was so relaxed. Almost the complete opposite of the corporate feel of classical music and the opera world. We didn’t use a click and just tracked live a few times. I didn’t manipulate my voice like I did in my indie rock days. No overthinking. Over the next few months Garrett added layers of percussion, vocals and got B.J. Cole to play pedal steel.

As a teenager, I used to rush home from school excited to practice guitar and even practice fifteen hours a day every summer but I lost that love when I started composing for films and classical music so it’s cool to rediscover it again, even if it’s in a small way. Coolest part of it all was getting to hang and become better amigos with Garrett and he’s down to record a batch of more of songs in 2025. Check out his music. His new album is amazing.

Here is the video. I wanted to type out the lyrics for you but since this post is already long, you can turn on the closed captions on the video. But I did want to share my two favorite lines from the song because they captured my pre-2020 desire to hold on. “I’ve got a feeling it’s the end; but maybe I wanna fall in love again” & “I know she ain’t comin’ back; but I’d rather play the fool and be fooled’. I hope you enjoy!

 

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My opera in Spanish, La Malinche Traitor | Savior, is going to be performed at the inaugural Opera Austin Festival later this year on November 16th. I’d love if you came to see it! Please mark your calendar. Tickets go on sale in October.

I made this about my latest immersive opera production, The Thinker. Featuring music & interviews with the cast at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Check out the EPIC intro ⚡️

It’s been a whole lotta fun this week in Cincy! I’m making the press rounds to promote my new immersive opera, The Thinker, that premieres on Friday at The Cincinnati Art Museum. It’s gonna be a doozy. 

 

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Shoutout to Ben Perkins for the writeup in the CityBeat about my new opera I’m premiering on August 16th at the Cincinnati Art Museum.

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Next up, I’ll be taking my talents to Cincy! On August 16th, I’ll be premiering a new immersive opera titled, The Thinker, at the Cincinnati Art Museum. The Thinker is a short opera about French sculptor Auguste Rodin and his colorful life. The opera highlights and explores Rodin’s humble beginnings, salacious affairs, life-long love for Rose Beuret and his encounters with iconic contemporaries like Claude Monet. Got friends in Cincy? Invite them! Click on the poster for the ticket link

I’ve decided to start an opera festival in the city I grew up in. Maybe I’m crazy for adding more to my plate but something in the air is stirring and plus it’s Gemini season so it’s hittin’ hard! The inaugural festival will be on November 16th 2024. KMFA has partnered with me as the media sponsor. A whole lotta details will be unveiled in the coming months. Let’s rock n’ roll bb 😎

I’m back in Orlando, this time doing an Andy Kaufmann inspired capture-the-flag audience interactive piece on headphones. Who doesn’t want to wield a sword and help save a princess while listening to an original music score by me! 17 shows. Click on image for tickets

I wrote these songs for soprano Lucianna Astorga as a song cycle which she premiered during SXSW in March of 2023. A few months later we decided to record them in the studio and today we released them on all streaming platforms.

I finally had time to stitch together a handful of excerpts from El Conquistador. Here ya go…

 

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New operas, immersive works & new music for 16 freaking pianos in Des Moines — kicking it off this weekend in Brooklyn & then I’m off to Texas & Iowa

Happy New Year! I’ve been in my lab all winter composing for my next opera, El Conquistador, that will premiere on March 2nd at the Carver Theatre in San Antonio Texas. The opera will feature Thomas Soto (tenor) as Hernán Cortés, Celeste Morales (soprano) as La Malinche, Lee Farrar Bailey (baritone) as Moctezuma, Kim Sandoval (mezzo) as Catalina Suarez Marcayda and Emily Anderson (mezzo) as Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar. Click on the image for tickets and info!