Reflections on my upbringing, fatherhood, and trying to be a better person.
(This was written in 2021, but Heidi and I are still doing this and highly recommend!) My wife Heidi and I realized we weren’t talking that much. We were becoming parents wrapped up in logistics, forgetting how to hang out with each other. So this is what we did about a year ago. We agreed […]
The Single Best Decision I Made this Year Read More »
We all have our Christmas traditions and for some reason one my family’s is to watch The Sound of Music. As you can see in the photos below, my son August really gets into it. The movie is why I recorded this version of Edelweiss on my 2017 Christmas album This Time of the Year. <a href=”https://aaronespe.bandcamp.com/album/this-time-of-the-year”>This
Edelweiss and ‘The Sound of Music’ Read More »
My dad’s birthday falls around Thanksgiving. It lands square on it every few years. This is one of those years (Happy Birthday, Pops!). I don’t think he minds sharing the day with Thanksgiving because my dad likes to eat. In fact, that picture above represents my father at one of his happiest moments: four bites
Thanksgiving/Dad’s Birthday Story Read More »
When you self-produce and mix your own music, you lose perspective. Why? Well, you’ve been listening to all the instrumental and vocal parts that make up the entire song for so long that your ears and brain hurt. If you’re lucky, you have a friend like Jeff Linsenmaier to give you feedback and maybe even
How Jeff Made My Music Better Read More »
I’m always conflicted about adding banjo to a recording because it’s such a specific and recognizable sound. Nobody hears a banjo and thinks, My goodness, what is that instrument? But I think the sound works in “The Kindness of Strangers.” It helps keep the song lighter. I bought this banjo in Fargo, North Dakota. I
My answer is in this throwback Thursday video clip circa 2013. Starting to write songs was one thing; sharing them was a whole different thing!
When Did I Start Writing Songs Read More »
I was 15 years-old. My middle-school PE teacher Mrs. Glassmann was having a garage sale. Among clothes and trinkets, I saw this Silvertone acoustic guitar (originally black with a sunburst body). Up until that point I’d been borrowing my grandpa Omer’s guitar. But what kind of grandson (or human, for that matter) doesn’t swiftly return
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Protected: Secret Songs Club (#20) Read More »
Something I don’t really want you to know about me is that I read a lot of self-help and business books. I like how the authors are so positive and encouraging. I’m used to hanging out with artists and songwriters. We’re like what I imagine a teachers’ lounge full of tenured English teachers is like.
14 Lines I Recite Every Morning Read More »
