Phil Tittle Music

To everything (turn, turn, turn) 

There is a season (turn, turn, turn) 

And a time to every purpose, under heaven 

A time to be born, a time to die 

A time to plant, a time to reap 

A time to kill, a time to heal 

A time to laugh, a time to weep 

To everything (turn, turn, turn) 

There is a season (turn, turn, turn) 

And a time to every purpose, under heaven

(Pete Seeger - "Turn, Turn, Turn")

King Solomon in all his infinite wisdom wrote down these words found in the book of Ecclesiastes nearly 3000 years…

The two largest religions in the world today are Christianity and Islam, so I'm going to make an assumption a lot of folks reading this have a vague idea of who Jesus was/is regardless of your faith or the depth you pursue it. If you've at least heard of Jesus, you probably also have a vague awareness of the story about how he walked on water. If you don't know the story, no worries...I'll give you the super abridged version and I promise this isn't a sermon. 

Here's the story of Jesus walking on water in a…

I've been driving around all day occasionally glancing over at it in the front passenger seat to take in the the reminder of memories that made me smile and laugh. And of course the not so distant memory I've had rolling around in my head all day while I went out on my errands. It's been just under 24 hours, but the black leash with the bright red harness dulled over the years was worn by its owner for the last time yesterday. I took my dog Scout to the emergency clinic last night shortly after midnight…

I guess that title could be aptly applied to all of us as 2020 begins it’s fade in our rear-view mirror.   I can say without a doubt that this time last year (2 March 2020), a pandemic and its impact on the world and yes me personally did not even come close to making my list of a thousand concerns, plans, and things I would need to “prepare” for going into the new year.  Not. Even. Close.  But here we are.  Here I am. 

So as 2021 dawns with all its hope and promise of perhaps finally shedding the nightmare…

I hadn’t been playing guitar too terribly long when I began to hear others talking about “finding their voice.” Huh? How do you find your voice...on a guitar? You just play it right? Put your fingers here, strum or pluck a few strings over there and if you’re lucky or have developed a modicum of talent, you should be able to produce something that resembles music. Right? Well, as it turns out there’s a little more to it. 

“Finding your voice” in music (according to my very quick search on the internet)…

In music we talk about “playing the changes.”  It simply means playing in a way that reflects the shifting harmony of the chord progression, choosing the right notes at the right time. feeling comfortable playing in any key, over any chords, in any area of the fretboard.

Usually when I make the decision to finally gather my thoughts, organize ideas, and commit to putting some words down for this blog, it’s because I have finally tuned in to the frequency the universe sends me. It’s faint at first, but when…

It's that time of year again, the holidays.  This means in all liklihood you're going to fall in one of two camps.  A.) You put up your tree the day after Thanksgiving, your Christmas shopping was pretty much done in October, and you wear tacky Christmas sweaters with reckless abandon.   Or, B.) you started stressing about gifts in September, you're likely wandering around the mall by yourself Christmas Eve and everyone in your life got a gift card.  I sadly tend to be in the latter group.  It's not as if I…

Fear.  The word alone probably conjures up all kinds of images.   These images are as unique to us as our own personalities.  As children, fear is the stuff of nightmares.  We fear the dark and the hideous creatures lurking within it.  I remember watching The Wizard of Oz every year as a kid.  The witch never bothered me...kind of reminded me of my second grade teacher.  But the minute those damn flying monkeys came on scene, it wrecked my night.  I don’t know if it was the look on their distorted little…

Have you ever given any thought to your “home?”   Not the place where they keep sending all the bills and the smoke detectors start beeping at 3:00AM.  I’m talking about the place where you are comfortable and safe to explore your mind and your soul without fear of judgment.  You lose yourself because time doesn’t really move there.  It’s where your heart, mind, and soul all converge allowing you to form questions and discover answers because it’s the place where the world and all its mysteries come into…

Growing up. I remember wanting to “grow up” so bad when I was young! Growing up meant independence, freedom, and privilege! I eagerly waited for my "grown up" lottery ticket allowing me to enter bars, rent cars, vote, stay out late as I wanted and basically live and love how and who I chose without need for adult supervision. Once I got the golden ticket giving me the access I craved, that was pretty much the point I quit thinking about "growing up" any longer. 

I learned in time that growing up comes with…