I spent the money my mama gave me for singing lessons on medical school, so give me a break as I try to answer the age old question that has eluded songwriters:
"If I write a song in the forest and a tree falls on me... when the rescue team comes with chainsaws will my song get cut ?"
It only took 23 years to get my M.D. but its taken 32 years to develop my self taught guitar and songwriting skills to the point I'm ready to share my music. You're more likely to encounter me in the E.R. or at a songwriters meeting than you will on the stage now, having been the rhythym guitarist in those long forgotten bands: Euphony, and LD 50, in the late 70's and 80's.
 I started out as a navy brat but mostly grew up in the Shoals area near Fame Studios and was influenced by "The Swampers " and all the artists who were attracted to the "Muscle Shoals Sound" in the 70's. Though still vocally challenged my guitar skills have improved considerably since I played the guitar lead to "Proud Mary" behind my back and over my head during the senior play at Deshler High School in 1977. My top career aspirations back then were to be a rock star, to play 1st base for the Braves, play guard for the Celtics, to put Bill Dance out of his fishing show job and to be a doctor. Fulfilling your 5th choice in career goals isn't all that bad. I still haven't given up completely on becoming a rock star but I think being a songwriter is close enough. I don't have any cuts yet and I don't have to .. to eat like many of my starving songwriter friends ... I'm just compelled to write songs. I also want to prove that MySpace can be used to get a cut. I guess I inherited some genes from my great grandfather Professor Walter C. Mitchell who wrote a capella Christian music . I have finished many of my songs that started in yesteryear on cassette (many in mono) thanks to the digital age of music and currently have a growing catalog of about 40 songs. I am currently studying and refining my songwriting skills at Songu.com. I'll post a link to my backpack to show what I'm currently pitching after I get my locker organized.
Most of my songs somewhat fit the country mold, but I have also written blues songs, metal songs, instrumentals, a Christian song, children's songs and even have a hip-hop duet in the works. My long term goals are to write a musical play, retire from medicine to a staff songwriter position, get into music production but mostly to write a song so good that my daughter Megan actually wants to sing it (she charges me for work tracks like these right now... smart business woman I think she is). I've just started moving into a studio with my song here "I'm Votin' For Hilary" but I'm still having fun with my work tapes self recording, self mixing on my Boss 1200 and/or Boss BR-900 digital recording studios in combination with my computer.
I use Google documents for much of my collaborating as I keep very odd work hours with my ER schedule. If you want to try collaborating with me feel free to contact me here and we'll set up a google document and swap mp3's.