Reuel Music is Not Over

A number of people have asked me recently "So what are you doing after JRL?"

This is a good question, and I have a couple answers. But first: something bothers me about this question -- it seems that people assume that wrapping up JRL means I'm quitting music. I'm not. I know it's confusing. Let me try to explain:

In my life I've had three musical phases:

In the first I wrote "Christian music" -- and by that I mean music whose point was to challenge and encourage Christians in their faith and walk with God. This stage lasted around 7 (89-96) years and included Genre, Jade Dagger, Sharon's Rose, Boanerges Brothers and a few other projects. Sons and Warriors was a transition project between this phase and the next. I mainly played these songs in Mennonite churches.

The second stage was my "Worship and Prayer" phase. It lasted approximately 7 years (96-02) as well. During this time I mainly wrote songs to or about God. This phase included Sons & Warriors and Sonchild. I played these songs in a wide variety of Christian denominations.

The third stage was JRL. It lasted about 7 years (02-09). This phase was about writing and playing music that anyone could enjoy, whatever their belief system or life was like. The goal was to write music that was fun, interesting and meaningful,and give it to whoever wanted it. I also tried for a deeper layer of meaning put there for anyone who would dig for it. I played these songs in coffeehouses, churches, bars, parking lots, schools, camps, colleges, and houses. Other projects during the JRL years include: CDR, Landline, the Vermont Project and Child of Motion, all of which to a backseat to JRL.

This brings me to the present. The JRL stage is ending, but music is not over. I don't know what the next season will be like musically, but my goal is to take everything I've learned so far and build on it.

Reuel music is not over.