Music has a way of marking the passage of time like nothing else, anchoring our stories in melodies that echo across generations. Through my ongoing work on the Journey to Liberty project—exploring the trials and unyielding spirit of early American patriots through music and narrative—I find myself constantly reflecting on what it means to live an authentic, independent life. Those themes of liberty and resilience aren't just confined to history books; they live on in the people we love. When my oldest daughter, Stephanie, recently turned 35, I saw that exact same frontier spirit alive and well in her new home on Orcas Island, Washington.
A Tapestry of Music and Lineage
When Stephanie was just a baby, her crib shared space with my home music studio for several years. Long before she grew up to learn the violin and forge her own path, her earliest lullabies were mixed alongside the pulse of synthesizers, recording gear, and the rhythm of a working creative space.
Perhaps that lifelong immersion in music naturally wove itself into her life, much like it did for her sixth-great-grandfather, Samuel Kendall. As captured in the narrative and lyrics of "So Dearly Won," Samuel was a frontier militia soldier who took a musket ball to the knee during the Revolution, leaving him with a permanent limp but an unyielding spirit. Famously independent, he didn't let his injuries slow him down, nor did he let stiff-necked town elders stop him from playing his violin with vigor—even getting himself cast out of local meeting houses for bringing too much joy and life to his music.
So Dearly Won - Washington's Final Testament
There is a direct line of musical and personal heritage between Samuel’s defiant, independent fiddling as celebrated in Journey to Liberty, and my daughter. When Stephanie was an infant, I wrote a song just for her. Then, this summer, on her 35th birthday, inspiration struck again, and I wrote a brand-new birthday song to mark the milestone, sending it to her just before my first visit to see her in her new island home.
For Stephanie (1991)
Your Birthday (For Stephanie 2026)
Finding Community on the Edge of the Salish Sea
Just a year ago, Stephanie was a mainlander. Today, she is an islander who embodies the very definition of grit, independence, and quiet resilience—traits that have earned her a warm, genuine embrace from the locals on Orcas Island. Visiting her this summer gave me a firsthand look at how deeply she has woven herself into the fabric of the community. Spending time with her in public settings, like the annual firehouse pancake breakfast fundraiser and the historic downtown, it was clear she is already known, respected, and loved.
That journey of staking out a new territory and building a life from scratch carries its own kind of historical poetry. In many ways, Stephanie carving out her place on the rugged shores of the Salish Sea mirrors the epic beginnings of the American Revolution—where courage, grit, and the audacity to forge a new path created something lasting out of the wilderness. While my new song "Epic Beginnings" stands apart from the Journey to Liberty project, it serves as a fitting modern companion to this chapter, capturing that same personal odyssey where "from the ashes of anything can come a power that elevates." It honors the foundational struggles of our past while illuminating a future of hope through the milestones of starting fresh, facing the unknown, and building a home where you truly belong.
Epic Beginnings
During our trip, we spent time together listening to a variety of music, including her new birthday song and "So Dearly Won," blending our shared musical history with the stunning backdrop of the Pacific Northwest. We even drove up to the summit of Mount Constitution to take in the sweeping views of the Salish Sea, a landscape that feels fittingly vast for someone with her independent spirit.
The Sound of the Island: Jimmy Mudd's Barn Jam
That spirit of camaraderie and nonconformity came alive when we met local fixtures like Jimmy Mudd. Jimmy is a quintessential island character—uniquely independent, widely known, and profoundly kind. For decades, Jimmy has hosted a weekly "train wreck" barn jam where any musician or aspiring player is welcome to jump into the musical melee.
I had the pleasure of participating in the jam, laying down rhythms on the conga drums and tackling a weathered, wonderfully out-of-tune grand piano. Watching Jimmy interact with my daughter and many others, my wife and I included, was a delight. Jimmy is an original and authentic local icon in every sense, much like the rugged, unconventional founders of our nation who refused to bend to ordinary molds. There is a profound parallel between those early architects of independence and a gathering like this: people coming together in common purpose, diving headfirst into a chaotic, discordant jam session, only for it to coalesce through sheer collective will into an infectiously pleasing vibe.
Experiencing the warm hospitality of the islanders firsthand felt like a living echo of Samuel Kendall’s world. Whether on the 18th-century frontier or in a rustic barn on Orcas Island, community isn't about fitting into a mold; it’s about sharing your authentic voice, standing tall in your independence, and playing your song with all the vigor you can muster.
