Well, my time here in Ireland is coming to a close and I have never had more fun or learned so much! The semester is over and all I have to do is hand in my essays and continue production on my latest CD project. In retrospect, my purpose for coming to the Esmerald Isle has become even clearer. It has inspired me to write more songs along the lines of what I call "Music Fiction" which is, in essence, songs that are like short stories instead of just raw emotions. By no means am I claiming to be the founder of this movement, because others like Bob Dylan, Harry Chapin, Gordon Lightfoot, Don McLean, and others have been telling stories through their songs since time immemorial and I do not, by any means, endeavor to put myself in their esteemed company. Originally I was going to write, as aforementioned, about Music and Literature, but then I decided that this would be the best way to do it. I enjoy reading about myths, legends, and stories and I enjoy the idea about writing songs that express my interests as well as my heart. My idea of "Music Fiction", if you will, entails giving an audience a story that can be mentally viewed almost like a movie or the way one makes one's own internal movie when reading a novel. Of course, songs are much shorter than literary works but their importance should not be diminished. Music Fiction should inspire thought, feelings, and opinions just like a novel should. Naturally, escapist fun is not a problem and is oftentimes, a breath of fresh air from literary headiness and pomposity, but I want to write more songs that I have written before like "The Knight and the Queen" and "The Raven Trail" along with my love compositions. As an artist, I constantly push myself to go beyond what I think I am capable of doing because the worst trap that a Singer-Songwriter can fall in is complacency. BKT