About Me
I grew up in Oklahoma listening to Shostakovich Symphonies, Led Zeppelin, Vangelis, Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams and whatever else my brother Rob showed me. Ginny Campbell taught me piano and made me a musician. Many thanks Ginny.I grew up in the Church, but I gave my life to Jesus Christ when I was 18. Later I found out his real name was Yeshua. That made me interested in the Bible. Then things really got going.I was fortunate enough to trick this amazing woman Becky Bell into marrying me. We've got two girls, Faith and Hope. Hope sings non stop, and Faith plays the penny whistle and can drum in 10/8, or anything else you throw at her. She's 7.In 1998 I discovered the Oud. Nothing has been the same since. The Oud to me is history and music coming together. It is the World Lute, the Instrument of Humanity. I feel like it the way that Andre Bellaq, the cognac-drinking Frenchman in Indiana Jones felt about the Ark— 'a radio for talking to God'.I can't get those roads out of my head, the road that Shimon Kefa took to Antioch, and Pavlos to Asia. Marqa in Alexandria and Hannan in Kyprios— I think about these roads when I play. The road Addai took to Edessa, and Nina into Georgia. T'oma to Hind, and Gregory to Armenia. The road to Cathay and back, the roads of Bar-Hebraeus and Mar Sauma, of Denys and Padriag. Because it's all one road, the road that goes ever on, as Tolkien said. It's the road that leads from the past to the future, from dream to reality, from here to Hell, and beyond that, to Paradise, signs left on the Way, by the One who went first.Of course my friends, Arab and Israeli, Jewish, Christian and Muslim don't see it exactly that way, but they're still willing to play this amazing music with me. Shukran Haverim.There are no Ouds in the Bible. But I made an album as if there were— it's called 'Verse'. You're hearing some of the tracks off of it, and some off of the upcoming albums— Verse 2, Travels, and an Oud Solo Album which I haven't named yet.I have this band that was called 'Nur'. A lot of great musicians have played with Nur, and also on Verse. Right now it's Me, the incomparable Adam Lau, John McGaha, and my beautiful and talented wife Becky. I am fortunate to be doing what I do. And I love it all.
