intro
Born: April 29, 1984 in Loveland, OH
Ethnicity: Lenni-Lenape Tribe (Native American)
Married: July 2, 2011 to Katie Ernst (Loveland, OH)
Life is about the journey, not the destination. Here's our story of the last decade on the road.
Ethnicity: Lenni-Lenape Tribe (Native American)
Married: July 2, 2011 to Katie Ernst (Loveland, OH)
Life is about the journey, not the destination. Here's our story of the last decade on the road.
2002-2004
"The world traveler of the family has just been born."
Those were the words of my grandmother the minute I was born. And as far back as I can remember I always wanted to see the world.
I got a guitar in high school and started to spend many nights learning how to play. I graduated high school in 2002 and did a few semesters at university before dropping out to go out west and help some friends run a small business.
Those were the words of my grandmother the minute I was born. And as far back as I can remember I always wanted to see the world.
I got a guitar in high school and started to spend many nights learning how to play. I graduated high school in 2002 and did a few semesters at university before dropping out to go out west and help some friends run a small business.
2005
It's funny to look back at my businessman daze.
My favorite thing about this time of my life was having the opportunity to live in the magical wonderland that is the Pacific Northwest.
I learned a lot of lessons in the business world. One lesson was the importance of serving someone besides myself.
I came up with an idea to start a non profit called Journey4YOUth and we set out on a cross country tour to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans.
My favorite thing about this time of my life was having the opportunity to live in the magical wonderland that is the Pacific Northwest.
I learned a lot of lessons in the business world. One lesson was the importance of serving someone besides myself.
I came up with an idea to start a non profit called Journey4YOUth and we set out on a cross country tour to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans.
2006-2007
My music 'career' was born during this time. I was still traveling here and there - serving tables in Florida and Ohio. Eventually, I took up a 9-5 job working in a warehouse up in Michigan. This was a very humbling time in my life. The whole time - all I could think about was traveling and playing music, but I had to honor my commitment to work for 12 months.
Once the weather broke I began street performing after work and on weekends. From the Chicago subway to the streets at Michigan State University, I started making more money busking than I was working my 'real job.'
Once the weather broke I began street performing after work and on weekends. From the Chicago subway to the streets at Michigan State University, I started making more money busking than I was working my 'real job.'
In November of 2007 (I got the biggest break of my music career) that was walking into work one morning and being told that I was fired. I drove away from that warehouse a bit numb at first. The sun was still rising and with it came the warmth of excitement!
I knew that the time was now!!
If there was anytime that I was going to give it a go as being a full time musician - now would be the time.
A friend told me (later that day) words I'll never forget. He said -
I knew that the time was now!!
If there was anytime that I was going to give it a go as being a full time musician - now would be the time.
A friend told me (later that day) words I'll never forget. He said -
"Necessity is the best form of motivation. That's why Cortez burned his ships when he and his men showed up on the shores of Montezuma."
- Matthew Dae Smith
2008
I left Michigan with a couple guitars, a looping pedal (and enough gas to get down to Florida). My plan was try and get paying gigs - and worst case - just busk/street perform all over the country.
I was very lucky that within a week of being down in Florida - I was booked between 5-7 nights a week. I managed to book two cross country USA tours as well. Those were great tours for me as I learned a lot about how to actually tour (and how not to tour). By the time fall came around I was read to go back out west.
I was very lucky that within a week of being down in Florida - I was booked between 5-7 nights a week. I managed to book two cross country USA tours as well. Those were great tours for me as I learned a lot about how to actually tour (and how not to tour). By the time fall came around I was read to go back out west.
2009
I started 2009 living in Park City, UT. I met some really amazing people out west and I felt accepted in the Utah music scene. It was a lot for me (back then) to take my music and move it out west - far away from anyone I knew. I put a lot of pressure on myself to keep pushing the envelope.
When things started to work out west, I started to get comfortable again. I always wanted to be a full time touring musician as opposed to being a local band playing all the local gigs.
When things started to work out west, I started to get comfortable again. I always wanted to be a full time touring musician as opposed to being a local band playing all the local gigs.
I booked another cross country US tour, called the "aLive in 2009 Summer Tour". At the time it was my biggest solo tour to date - 25 states, 20,000 miles and a bunch of shows. I finished the tour and released my first official album 'Journey4YOUth.'
I did an east coast fall tour to promote the album and by December I was burnt out and ready to take some time off. I was also deeply in love and needed to walk away from my music so I could pursue someone that was much more important than music.
I did an east coast fall tour to promote the album and by December I was burnt out and ready to take some time off. I was also deeply in love and needed to walk away from my music so I could pursue someone that was much more important than music.
2010
I met up with my (soon-to-be) fiance' out in New Zealand. Katie and I were trying to maintain a (4 year) long distance relationship. Both of us were ready to take it to the next level.
Katie and I spent 4 months traveling around New Zealand and Australia. Hitchhiking and playing music wherever we could. It was a beautiful time for us. We traveled through Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos and Cambodia. After SE Asia, we headed to where we felt called for many years. Africa.
Katie and I spent 4 months traveling around New Zealand and Australia. Hitchhiking and playing music wherever we could. It was a beautiful time for us. We traveled through Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos and Cambodia. After SE Asia, we headed to where we felt called for many years. Africa.
Katie
and I spent almost 3 months living in Kaswanga Village; a small fishing
village in southwestern Kenya. We lived in a mud hut with no running
water, electricity or anything from the western world.
We became a part of the community and saw how the smallest amount of money could provide life saving medicine and help meet other basic needs. Although we knew we were coming back to the U.S. with nothing (we had sold everything but my music equipment) we knew we could do something to help this community we had grown to love.
We became a part of the community and saw how the smallest amount of money could provide life saving medicine and help meet other basic needs. Although we knew we were coming back to the U.S. with nothing (we had sold everything but my music equipment) we knew we could do something to help this community we had grown to love.
2011
We got back from Africa, bought a big cargo van and pretty much hit the road. We started the paperwork to get Journey4YOUth an official 501(c)3 non profit organization and converted our van to run off waste veggie oil. We started down in the Florida Keys and worked our way up to Bar Harbor in Maine. Two months into our tour we got married and took a honeymoon. Got back to the USA and continued our tour out west.
I wrote a lot of music in Africa. The greatest thing about the 2011 summer tour was being able to take these new songs and work them out on the road. This proved to be very important because after the tour we hooked back up with Cinch dB and and recorded the second album. 'To Love or to Fear.'
I wrote a lot of music in Africa. The greatest thing about the 2011 summer tour was being able to take these new songs and work them out on the road. This proved to be very important because after the tour we hooked back up with Cinch dB and and recorded the second album. 'To Love or to Fear.'
2012
2012 was a turning point for us. We got Journey4YOUth 501(c)3 status. We also retired our veggie van and upgraded to a full size school bus. We were able to convert our bus to run off waste veggie oil and solar panels which in turn helped save us a lot of money touring.
We released 'To Love or to Fear' and started our summer tour with a bang. All in all we played 150 shows in 27 states, drove almost 35,000 miles.
After the summer/fall tour we drove back to the Midwest to spend time with our families before we embarked on our first Europe Tour and another Journey4YOUth trip to Africa.
We released 'To Love or to Fear' and started our summer tour with a bang. All in all we played 150 shows in 27 states, drove almost 35,000 miles.
After the summer/fall tour we drove back to the Midwest to spend time with our families before we embarked on our first Europe Tour and another Journey4YOUth trip to Africa.
2013
2013 was a busy year for us. We started the year touring Europe. We played shows in Holland and then traveled to Germany and Austria.
We got back from Kenya in February and immediately hit the road. We managed to record and release my third album 'Give Until It's Gone' and toured coast to coast. At the end of another great tour we recorded a double live cd set to come out in May of 2014.
We left the country in November and finished the year in Kenya and Uganda.
We completed the work for Journey4YOUth and started heading south.
We got back from Kenya in February and immediately hit the road. We managed to record and release my third album 'Give Until It's Gone' and toured coast to coast. At the end of another great tour we recorded a double live cd set to come out in May of 2014.
We left the country in November and finished the year in Kenya and Uganda.
We completed the work for Journey4YOUth and started heading south.
2014
We rang in the New Year in Botswana. Trying to get rest before embarking on our first ever South Africa Tour. We came back to the USA and toured for 6 weeks.
In the spring we left for Central America only to come back 6 weeks later to start our annual summer tour. We had the best tour we've ever had despite losing our bus towards the end of the year.
We overcame some adversity (when our bus died) but we rented a minivan and finished the tour strong. We left in November to start a 4 month long New Zealand tour. 2014 was an unbelievable year for us. We stayed busy, toured hard and made some great connections.
In the spring we left for Central America only to come back 6 weeks later to start our annual summer tour. We had the best tour we've ever had despite losing our bus towards the end of the year.
We overcame some adversity (when our bus died) but we rented a minivan and finished the tour strong. We left in November to start a 4 month long New Zealand tour. 2014 was an unbelievable year for us. We stayed busy, toured hard and made some great connections.
2015
The "Ubuntu BorderLess Tour" began in New Zealand. NZ was the best international tour we've ever had. 50 shows, 4 months. We flew back to the USA in March, bought a new school bus and converted it to veggie oil.
We toured the USA pretty hard until September. Katie and I both had some health things we needed to address and so we flew to Thailand and rented a small jungle house to get our healing.
2015 was a great year. I released the Ubuntu album as well as a 4 song EP called Spirit Song (that was also written and recorded in Thailand). It's crazy to think we spend more time overseas then we do in the USA.
We toured the USA pretty hard until September. Katie and I both had some health things we needed to address and so we flew to Thailand and rented a small jungle house to get our healing.
2015 was a great year. I released the Ubuntu album as well as a 4 song EP called Spirit Song (that was also written and recorded in Thailand). It's crazy to think we spend more time overseas then we do in the USA.
2016
2016 has been a year of activism. There are many things going on right now - around the world and on our own soil. We were called to go volunteer in Greece & Turkey with refugees.
We took that experience and what began as a cross country #HUMANityTour is now becoming a world wide journey to apply the love, energy and money we raise towards the land and the people. Creation. We are heading to Standing Rock before recording another studio album. We will be volunteering in Greece, Turkey and Kenya with another South Africa tour in between.
We took that experience and what began as a cross country #HUMANityTour is now becoming a world wide journey to apply the love, energy and money we raise towards the land and the people. Creation. We are heading to Standing Rock before recording another studio album. We will be volunteering in Greece, Turkey and Kenya with another South Africa tour in between.