I wrote an email to one of my favorite singer/songwriters yesterday, and it feels appropriate, given the upcoming holiday, to share it with you. Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers' album Glassjaw Boxer was one of those rays of light that we sometimes see (or hear) at exactly the right time. He's honest in his dealings with family and the pursuit of fame, with his questions, doubts, and hopes. In his song Father's Day, he sings to his daughter about the closeness of their family, as well as the distance created by his perennial absence. "You're like your mom, little girl/ and believe me that's the best thing in the world," followed by "I will always always love you, no matter what you do/ and when you're growing up without me I will always be with you." Even though I don't have any kids, these themes cut right in. And I think it's because...

What is the one thing you wish you had done differently which you learned by experience? This is an excellent question, and a very difficult one. My answer may end up sounding a bit touchy-feely for your tastes, but it's my answer nonetheless. I wish this: that I had asked myself "What do I want?" more often. I wish I had started asking earlier, "What EXACTLY do I want? Is THIS what I want? How close is this thing I'm doing right now to what I've dreamed of, hoped for?" And I wish I'd developed the courage to believe in my answers to those questions earlier on. In other words, I wish I'd started to trust my intuition earlier. Asking "Where am I going, and what do I really want?" is a powerful question, because it prevents you from getting swept along by others' plans for you in the hopes that they have your...

Dear Mr. Hood, I have been enjoying your music for some time, and I love the way you mix intricate musical harmonies with meaningful lyrics.  You may remember me from your show in Boston. I played violin for Back Into Blue. I have been studying violin for 9 years, and also play guitar, piano, drums and sing.  I am in high school, and I am considering colleges to continue my musical education.  I write and record songs, and would like to hone and refine this skill for God’s glory.  Could you give me some insight from your experience about these upcoming years? What was the best decision you made in the pursuit of your music career? What is the one thing you wish you had done differently which you learned by experience? What advice would you give someone like me? Thanks for the time and advice you might be able to give.  Believe me, I will...

Here’s a video of our song “Something More” from the D Town TV show, Tucson, AZ’s Channel 12. Hope you like it!

he dynamic duo played a song they called a work-in-progress – “Start Somewhere” – that to them was a song about the birthplace of their collaboration (which began in Boston, MA after moving Tucson, AZ). For me, as I looked out at the diverse audience, “Start Somewhere” spoke to me about all personal life journeys, which are all “works-in-progress.”

Ryanhood rock CD Release show at Rialto Saturday 04/04/2009 11:59 AM Dan Shapiro The appellation Ryanhood comes from the melding of Cameron Hood and Ryan Green, who are putting out their third full length album, The World Awaits, and celebrating the release with a party at the Rialto Theater on April 4. Every ticket includes their CD so there’s no reason not to go. Hood had this to say about the event, “No, really, THIS is the most important show. YouHAVE to come to THIS one!” I remained skeptical until I recently heard the acoustic guitar duo, who sound like when Simon & Garfunkel met U2 in a park and The Edge taught Garfunkel to shred on guitar, while Nickel Creek drank coffee and rocked the bluegrass.” Below, NightBuzz caught up with Cameron Hood to ask a few questions pertaining to playing shows in Tucson, burning yourself out in Tucson and burning Tucson down with fiery guitar licks. AZNB: I was surprised to see...

Tucson is a place for flip flops, a place for shorts, and Tshirts. Nobody really brings jackets or scarves to carnivals in Tucson. That's all I'm saying. In Tucson, the town of our birth, there's almost nothing as beautiful and pleasant as a spring night spent out of doors and under the stars. So when the wind began blowing bitterly and coldly last week just as we were setting up for an outdoor show called Spring Fling, most everyone was caught completely unaware. Pretty early on in the show, I checked in with Ryan to see if the seemingly eternal flame in his fingertips had been cooled. Amazingly, even though he could have pierced my septum with the icicles on his knuckles, he was still able to play all of his guitar solos. I was going to suggest to our audience that if they were cold, they could scoot closer together and closer...

I dream that me and you Will go up on our roof In the evening To get a better view We watch the sunset in the yard while Im watching all the cars drive Left and right Making wrong turns at the light And sometimes getting tickets But getting back onto the road And as the stars climb The lattice of the sky We know that its our wide world thats turning And we think of how our little lives Measure up to Time With a moon thats been for ages Spinning in the pages Of dust and space And reflections of the light Overwhelmed I am Sitting on my sleeping bag But in the quiet you look at me and sing You were born to be here You were born to say What nobody will say If you dont You will long to see clearly To have it in your hands But its far too big a plan For you to hold So lets go up on the roof Only me and you And in the quiet we will ask...

I’m feeling my limits. And I’m unsatisfied. I’m feeling them, I’m up next to them, I’m touching them, with my face to the glass and my fingerprints smearing all over them. I’m breathing and I’m thinking and I’m scheming, I’m desiring, I’m wanting to break them all over the floor. I’m wanting to run I’m wanting to hide I’m wanting to tear down the walls that hold me inside. But *&^exclamations!!$~.& if I’m not feeling my limits. Anyone have exceeding talents in Flash, or website design, or video-making and editing? Drop me a line. Show me your work. Prove yourself to me. Don’t be shy. Believe you can. I’m serious. This is a call. I want to make music. I want it to be great. I want to write the greatest words I’ve ever heard. I want to make melodies that move me. I want to sing over vast open chords, and...