The Starter

Welcome to the Starter (a Trailer).First 3 Episodes to be published Tuesday, July 7th:Ep 1: GracelandEp 2: Paint it BlackEp 3: Only a RiverAdditional episodes will be published every two to three weeks.Ep 4: I Got a Name to be published Tuesday, July 21st.Ep 5: Swimming to be published Tuesday, August 11th.Thank you for listening,- Stephen

Some mornings I wake up before dawn, and I know that I’m not going to fall back asleep. This was one of those mornings...Time to get up. I had bread to make anyway...There are certain albums that feel like slipping on an old worn leather jacket when you play them. The songs remind us of who we are, and where we came from. It's all right here."I've reason to believe we all will be received in Graceland."Album: Graceland (1986)Artist: Paul Simon

The dream was always there. Ever since I heard a rock and roll song as a kid that made me pause long enough to wonder, what is this?...Music carries us through life; sometimes one song can stay with you for the whole ride. Maybe it was the dark psychedelic energy or the raw power of good and true rock and roll, but something about this song kept bringing me back.."I see a red door, and I want it painted black."Song: Paint It Black (1966)Artist: The Rolling Stones

We cannot reverse the river’s unstoppable current, we can never go back. But with the right song, at the right time, perhaps we can visit for a while... When someone great is gone, there are decisions to be made. Sometimes the answers can be found in the music, or maybe a song can at least help lead us in the right direction. "Only a river gonna make things right, only a river gonna make things right."Song: Only a River (2016)Artists: Josh Ritter, Bob Weir

This wasn’t the first time I had been there; holding a nameless baby boy in the labor and delivery ward of St Joe’s Hospital. It wouldn’t be the last either...A story of legacy as told through names, and how we carry them through life. As the youngest of three boys, I started my own tradition, and I had been saving this song. "Like the pine trees lining the winding road; I got a name, I got a name."Song: I Got a Name (1973)Artist: Jim Croce