Music and writing lie at the very core of who I am. Born in the idyllic town of Bristol, Tenn., the so-called birthplace of country music, music bit hard and deep from an early age. Love of the English language followed on its heels. Combined, they have provided me with a path across which my life's every step touches. Journalism, therefore, provides me with an ideal outlet through which I can marry the two interests.

For seven years or so, I've put to words the music world as it presents itself to me. Articles I've written have been published in a dozen or so newspapers and magazines, including numerous Web sites. Most notably, I've written for a year and a half as a correspondent for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. In addition to writing, I adore great literature by such authors as John Steinbeck. I also play guitar and mandolin.