My wife is having baby on June 27th. 

I found out a few months ago when I was packing for a short run of shows. Sarah came into the spare bedroom where I was having a minor conniption fit over not being able to find the right cable. One minute I’m worried about being late to bus call, the next I’m a dad. Weird. 

Over the last 5 months I’ve been trying to make sense of it. I’ll be frank- it scares the crap out of me. How do I manage a full-time volatile career in the music industry with a baby? How do I manage my time with childcare? 

I read my sister’s blog this week about stories. She’s lived a very full life in her short 26 years, including hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with her husband Zach, backpacking solo through Europe, and touring with a vagabond band across the US. She’s had a difficult time adjusting to her new story: homeowner, possible mother, more settled. 

My story is changing again. First it was young songwriter/keyboardist with an original rock band, then it morphed into scrappy married musician making ends meet in a secondary market (I started this blog at that time in my life), then newbie keyboardist/producer in Nashville, trying to find his way. Now I’ve added “married with kid” to the end of the description. 

I don’t know what that looks like. But fortunately I know many people in this town who make it work. People like Jacob Schrodt, Blair Masters, and Steve Brewster have proven it’s possible to have great relationships with your kids, and still be very successful working as a sideman/producer. As I start to figure it out with the help of my friends, I’ll share what I’ve learned with you. 

As always, thank you for sharing this journey with me. Here’s to plot twists.