Jim Kroft
It’s been a wonderful road so far as a musician. I’ve grown up during the years when the music industry has gone from collapse to collapse, and I’ve witnessed it die like a boar being attacked by a pack of ravenous hyenas. My journey so far in many ways has been defined by this context. The need to marry my dreams with a reality unwilling sometimes to provide a stable support structure has shaped my story. It’s taught me lessons which are timeless and which one day I hope to pass on to my children. That we are defined by our reaction to difficulty. That there is always a way to get something made. That compromise does not have to mean dilution but can, if you stay true to your own values, help keep things moving. That an unlocked door in an abandoned building in a foreign country does not have to mean fear. That a parents death can be a beginning and not an ending. That trying to sleep next to your band while shivering in the back of a white van forms a friendship that is deeper than any falling out can last. That you only understand the meaning of a favor when you have nothing much to give in return. Mainly at this point, I am just utterly grateful that I have reached the point where I can continue. For every brick wall I’ve come across, I have found a support that has helped me keep going. The world provides angels, helpers and guides if you are willing to step out. And each time you meet one you learn that faith is not exclusively God’s domain, but is in fact an expression of what is potential in the world and in our enduring humanity.