I never thought I would be a songwriter, It wasn't planned. Some years ago, I had a mentor who became terminally ill. After he passed away, I dreamt about him: he was sitting on a park bench, with his arms outstretched, waiting for me to hug him. Before he died, we'd had a terrible fight and unfortunately never got a chance to resolve our differences in life. I knew from this dream that he had forgiven me. While we hugged, he hummed a beautiful, dissonant melody. When I woke up the next morning, I couldn't get it out of my head. Sitting down at the piano to play it out, I knew that I was writing my first song. Later, it became "Cautiously Optimistic.'' Since then, I haven't been able to think about doing anything else with my life. I am grateful every day for this newfound passion I have for making music. I hope you enjoy these songs. They are very special to me, and I am beyond thrilled that they have been given a chance to be truly realized.
   There is no way that this CD would have happened without the love and unyielding support of my family. friends and fans of my music. I want to say thank you to them, and to all the performers on this album. It is any songwriter's dream to have their songs sung with the emotion and passion that you all have provided. Also, I am grateful for the grant awarded by the Anna Sosenko Trust, as well as to Kickstarter.com for the platform they provide for independent artists to raise money for their ventures. Finally, thanks to Pam, Brad Zamkoff, Josh and my beautiful mother for their unparalleled support and unconditional love, and a very special thank you to David Snyder, for the friendship, the passion for music, and for believing so much in me.