“I’m from England but live in Hamburg, Germany. I’m here for two weeks and wanted to make the most of the beach. I went to a pawn shop today and got this guitar. I’ve been playing off and on for five years, but properly for a year. I also write songs and started playing them at open mics around Hamburg. Songwriting is releasing emotions and saying things I wouldn’t usually say out loud. That’s useful.
I’m proud of some of the songs I’ve written. One of my favorites is ‘Listen’. In England at least, men don’t talk when they’re feeling rubbish. We box things in, dealing with it on our own. It’s hard to say out loud that you’re struggling. ‘Listen’ is about looking out for your mates and asking if they’re okay.
I have the setup to record songs in my bedroom. It’s a start. I’m working on building confidence and believing I can do this–not listening to the thoughts in the back of my head that I’m too stupid. Or I’m not good-looking or talented enough to try.
I’m at a crossroads about where I am and what I want to do next. I’ve worked for Airbus for fourteen years. Airbus sent me here to work on a problem with the same aircraft that we have in Hamburg. I’m showing them how to fix it.
This is my first time in America. The people are the best part–so nice and talkative. It’s refreshing. The weather is also a good change from the gray skies of Hamburg. I’m surprised how much I enjoy it here. Makes me want to move somewhere like this with better weather than Germany or England. That’s another crossroads. There’s a lot to figure out.”
Craig
Craig will play a few of his songs at the Book Cellar at Page and Palette in Fairhope on Sunday, May 5th at 3 p.m. He’ll play for about 30 minutes. He can go back to Germany saying he played his songs in the U.S.
This is sooo cool what you do! I stumbled across your name just checking out people commenting on Tony P. ‘s Audrey Hepburn post. Stories like this are what draw me to writers like you,Sean Dietrich and Rick Karl. These are tales that you don’t hear about on the news or whatever. Real stories that cause you to feel emotions other than anger, resentment, impatience etc. After 34 years as a letter carrier, I met a lot of people and heard many stories, made friends with WW2 veterans and listened to them. I heard people brag or lament about their kids, talk about their health, just speak life. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. Been a musician since 8th grade and at 69 still plugging away. This story about a guy from Hamburg appealed to me. I like listening, To people, to songs that paint a picture and tell a story (other than party an raising hell) Thank you for what you do and I look forward to reading your book(s)!