National Anthem by Joel Glenn Wixson

It is the Spring of 2024, and it seems that no one is happy. Also, sadly, it looks like there is little on the horizon that will make everyone happy, and not much in the way of leadership that will do anything about it. As a songwriter, I try to share the inspiration I get from the people I know who consistently remind me that what is possible comes, not from leaders, or experts, or gurus, but from each other. This collection of songs is inspired by these people and he reality I experience. My straight cis male white lens is limited, but I see a future where what holds us together wins over what is tearing us apart. Maybe that's whiteness talking, but every day I witness people refusing to give in to hate and fear. I believe that if they can do it, so can I. Here's hoping you can, too.

Most of my songs come to me in dreams. This is my attempt to translate them from dreams into something I can share.

Different songs come at different times and I have no idea why the dream world sends them to me, but it seems like it's my responsibility to pass them on. What they mean to you is what matters. I'd love to hear what you think about them.

Where Would We Be and Where Would We Be II are not dream songs. They were both inspired by a conversation I had with Paul Goldman. Thanks Paul!

Absolutely White is a song inspired by something a friend of mine said about ideas that polarize us. Thanks David.

I'm Alone is not a dream song, either. It is a song I wrote in response to a songwriting prompt from Guy Capecelatro III. I had wanted to write a song about my mom's cranberry bread for along time. His prompt was the inspiration I needed. Thanks Guy!

Thanks to my family who loves and supports everything I do. I would not be who I am without them, and I cherish them every single day. They are the ones who have to suffer through me getting up in the middle of the night to go down to the studio to transcribe my dreams into songs. I appreciate their patience and understanding.

I want to express my deep gratitude for the black genius that inspires so much of my music. I don't know why I dream in black gospel, soul and rhythm and blues, but I often do. Though it comes to me in dreams, this style of music is not mine. Without it, though, I would have no music, so I hope my work in some small way amplifies the music of those who have sacrificed so much and brought so much to my life. JGW 2024.

The foundation of Joel Glenn Wixson's musical life is street performance, "busking." Since starting his musical journey at the age of nine, he has played from Portland Maine to Portland Oregon. Internationally, He has performed in Canada, France, and New Zealand, but most of the time he is in New England playing in the streets from Boston on up the Coast.