Today I turn 30! 🎉
Part of me still feels like I'm that same 10-year-old kid…
Watching 6am Saturday morning cartoons, running around with the neighborhood kids playing manhunt, stuffing tissues in my shoes to try and cheat my height on rollercoasters (it never worked 😂).
Another part feels like I've already been in my 30s for a while now.
Life has handed me loss after loss and really difficult lessons, forcing me to grow up MUCH quicker than I ever would have liked.
But entering this new decade feels special.
It feels like the right moment to pause and appreciate what truly matters.
And there’s something else making this birthday particularly meaningful:
I'm going to be a dad. 🥹
Fatherhood feels both exciting and emotional, especially because I lost my own dad a few years ago…before I was married, before this milestone birthday, before having kids was even something I thought about.
It's hard knowing my child won't ever meet their grandfather, won't share moments with him, or just know him like I did.
I wish he could've seen me become a dad myself.
But even though he isn’t here to celebrate this milestone with me, I just know he’d be proud.
Losing him made me realize just how short life really is.
How important it is to stop waiting, to stop second-guessing, to stop chasing what doesn’t actually matter.
I used to put so much pressure on myself as a composer—thinking I had to have everything figured out, that success only comes from certain kinds of work. But I see things so differently now.
I wish I could tell my past self:
Just keep going. Keep writing. Keep putting yourself out there.
The people who are meant to connect with your music will find you. The work that truly fulfills you will come.
What actually matters is that you’re showing up for what you love, for the people you love.
That’s the lesson I want to pass down—not just as a father but as a friend…to anyone out there feeling lost in their career or unsure of where they’re going.
Honestly I thought I’d be sad to leave my 20’s. I thought I’d be nervous but turning 30 honestly doesn't feel scary anymore.
It feels right.
Because it's not just about me—it's about honoring my dad’s memory, becoming the best father I can be, and sharing this next chapter with my family.
And it’s only just beginning! ❤️