This website was an idea I had quite a few years ago. I set the concept aside for a while to focus on other areas of life: building a full-time career in real estate, growing a family, and even launching a gardening website and YouTube channel.
But at various times in my life, whenever stress was high, I always found myself coming back to music. Whether listening to it or playing it, music has a unique way of balancing the chaos of daily life with the opportunity to create. Music is freeing and uplifting. It simply makes life better.
The Foundation
In 1994, I went to college to earn a bachelor’s degree in music. Aside from a brief one-semester detour into engineering, I stuck with it and graduated in 1999. I really value those years in the school of music. The lessons went far beyond notes and rhythms. I gained a deep sense of discipline and dedication. Later in life, I realized that the rigorous training of a music major instilled a work ethic that has served me incredibly well in everything else I do.
After college, I spent seven years teaching in three different school systems across Tennessee. Each had its own unique rewards and challenges, but eventually, the shifting landscape of public education took its toll. It was time for a big change.
My wife found a job that brought us back to Middle Tennessee, closer to our families. I stepped into the role of a stay-at-home dad for our oldest daughter, and our family kept growing. Today, we have five children, and I run a successful full-time real estate business.
Finding My Way Back
Now, I’m finally finding my way back to playing music again. I’m stepping back into the water slowly, starting by joining a local big band here in Middle Tennessee, playing 2nd tenor sax. But as I dusted off my case, I realized I couldn’t be the only one trying to navigate this transition.
Well Noted Music is designed to be a roadmap and a community resource for any musician trying to get back into the game. Whether you haven’t opened your case in five years or twenty-five years, this is a place to find your footing again.
While the site will be fairly saxophone-heavy, since it’s been my main instrument since 1987, the core concepts apply across the board. On this site, you’ll find:
- Practical Practice Techniques: Efficient routines designed for busy adults who don’t have four hours a day to practice anymore.
- Gear & Product Reviews: Honest, real-world looks at horns, mouthpieces, reeds, and accessories to help you make smart choices.
- Curated Resources: The best tools, books, backing tracks, and apps to accelerate your progress.
- Stories from the Trenches: The real, unfiltered ups and downs of rebuilding chops and performing again.
If there is one thing I know for sure, it’s this: it is never too late to get back into music, or pick it up for the very first time. Time to get to work!