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It’s that time again…the months keep flying by.  I’m excited to release “Rocketship” to the world.  I feel the creative momentum building and although I always think the newest songs are great, this one is my favorite thus far.
 
I was challenged once again by Christian Hand in the studio.  This time I had already written three verses to this beat.  Christian heard them, thought they were good but told me to dig deep and write about something that had a major impact on me growing up.
 
I have had a very fortunate life with a wonderful family and great friends.  There is, however, a period of my life that was exceptionally difficult.
 
While attending Cary High School in North Carolina, I, along with all of the other students, had to cope with 6 fellow students and friends taking their own lives…3 in the same month.
 
To say this was a trying time is a colossal understatement.  I was close friends with two of the kids and knew them all.  There is honestly no way to prepare for tragedy of this magnitude especially at such a young age.
 
As the years went by, I dealt with everything the best I could…remembering the good times that I had with them and cherishing the moments with those close to me and still living.
 
I kept a rose from the casket of my friend and to this day it sits perfectly in tact atop my studio desk.
 
“Rocketship” is by far the most emotional song I have ever written.  It comes from a place of deep pain, a yearning for understanding and a hope that my friends moved on to a better place.
 
“Forever 17 in our hearts and minds.”
 
J