I celebrated my birthday yesterday and I'm grateful to God for all the time he has given me so far.  I appreciate the opportunity to get up every day and do the work I was designed to do.  My music is gift but it is only a gift when I give it away.  My site is designed to do that.

I hope I get another 53 years to make and give music.  With all the tools today it becomes easier and easier.

As a musician, your hands are your voice. Every chord, every run, every gentle touch on the keys or strings comes from a place of joy and connection. But what happens when your hands start to betray you?

A few weeks ago, I started feeling a dull ache in my left wrist. I brushed it off as fatigue, kept pushing through practice, and kept playing gigs because the music has to go on, right? But the ache turned into tingling, and then into sharp pain that made even simple chords feel like climbing a mountain.

It turns out, I have carpal tunnel in my left wrist.

I didn’t realize how much I took my hands for granted until they couldn’t do what they’ve always done. It’s humbling, frustrating, and honestly scary for a musician to face this. But I’m learning that slowing down is not the same as stopping. I’m taking physical therapy seriously, resting when I need to, and exploring new ways to approach technique so I can keep making music for years to come.

If you’re a musician and you’ve been ignoring those aches, please don’t. Take care of your hands. Rest when you need to. Warm up properly. Stretch. Pay attention to your posture. We only get one set of hands, and they deserve our care as much as the music does.

Have you dealt with carpal tunnel or other playing-related injuries? I’d love to hear how you managed it and kept your music alive.