From Poem to Award-Winning Music Video: The “Cancer Is My Engine” Journey

On March 28, 2018, I wrote a poem, “Cancer Is My Engine.” Three days later, I picked up my electric bass, sang into a handheld digital recorder, and turned the poem into a song. Three years later, and this song is an award-winning music video, being screened at film festivals worldwide. Below you can track each step of the progress of this song:

1. photo of my journal entry with the original poem 

2. Scratch recording of my first stab at the song 

3. Typed-up poem

4. The final audio recording 

5. The final music video

When you become a Patreon member, you not only support my art, but you also get to participate in my creations, in real time:

1. “Poetry” patrons get weekly typed-up versions of original and unpublished poems.

2. “Spoken Word” patrons get that plus spoken word performances of the weekly poems.

3. “Journal” patrons get all that plus a monthly photo of an original journal entry of a poem

4. “Songwriting” patrons get all that plus a monthly audio recording of my first stab at a song.

Today I just wrote a song, “Black Tar,” which I’m really digging. You can unlock the audio recording of the song when you become a Songwriting Patron – click here to access my first stab at the song!

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