I am a songwriter, vocalist and music producer. I've been singing in the choir and cantoring at St. Matthew's Catholic Church in St. Paul, MN for about 35 years.

I could tell you a lot about the various ways I approach songwriting. But it wouldn't necessarily apply to the next person. I think everyone finds content and style in their own way. Some things can be taught via formulas. Other stuff just arrives without warning. Some stuff grows out of years of fulfillment or desperation.

I had an informal journal of existential despair when I was in college. Years later, at age 40 or so, I started writing some poetry to relate to others my human and spiritual conditions. Ten years after that, I became enabled by Mac music software and started mixing multiple tracks together to make songs. I have been setting some of those poems I wrote to music. I have been writing new lyrics, too. Sometimes I take a soundtrack someone else has produced and write words for it and sing them. Sometimes I discover a melody while singing in the shower or driving in the car and rush to my studio to capture it extemporaneously. A few of my songs have been in development for years. Like my song "Mr. Ford"...took 30 years for that to gel. I recently added a new bridge and a modulation to "Lovestruck Man"...a song I first posted in 2004. Every year now, I record a new version of it. It is a living song that will continue to grow with me as I continue my music journey. No lack of juice for me at age 53. How is that? I don't know. It's crazy. I should be doing other practical things that make sense and make money. I guess my songs are about my trials and successes. Music is a good medium for communicating one's angst or passion.

Raising a family of seven children with my dear wife, working as a graphic deigner for nominal pay, singing with the church choir and cantoring have all shaped the sort of songs I write. My style is declamatory. I place a huge emphasis on voice in the song mix, and try to deliver the words clearly and with pathos. I love structure, yet am able to abandon it on a moment's notice if a thought can best be conveyed with rule-breaking chord progressions. I did a little guitar playing in college and worked out my own set of D root chords that climb up the neck of the guitar. Those chords have allowed me to do some very simple, soulful songs. However, in the past year or so, I have worked very hard to learn more guitar chords, scales, colors, intervals, harmonic functions, modes, fingerpicking techiques, etc. This is giving me much more to work with when trying to conjure up a song. I recently started playing guitar for church services -- doing songs both new and already known by me in front of a live congregation of worshippers. I couldn't do that a year ago. An average song is only as good as its performance but an exceptionally good and time honored song can be sung or played badly and still be tolerated and loved.

For so many years, guitar books were quite intimidating to me because they had so many chords I didn't know. I attended a couple folk concerts in the past few months (Cindy Kallet and Bill Staines) and purchased their guitar songbooks. Now, as I learn how to effortlessly play more chords and realize all the different ways to "color" a chord (with minors and dominants, inversions, augmentation, diminishing, slash chords, etc.), I am starting to get a handle on how good songs are written. Being able to play covers of published songs (accompanying yourself with piano or guitar) is unquestionably a great training in songmaking.

Title	Genre	Plays	Rating
Solitude / Soledad	Inspirational	309	4.75
Going to the Club - fortified	Rock	394	5.00
In Your Dreams (w mint01)	Rock	360	4.80
Sleep, Baby, Sleep (multi-language a cappella medley)	A Cappella	672	5.00
Saving Great Turtle	Folk	296	5.00
Galactic Overdrive	Electronica	247

Title	Genre	Plays	Rating
Dreamville (vocals by rschletty)	Country	476	5.00
Trampolines n' Tambourines	Folk	903
Like As The Waves	Rock	394	5.00
For All The Many Things	Inspirational	360	5.00
Midnight Coffee (with lyrics)	Blues	378	5.00
The Old Red Box	Rock	488	4.96
Let It Rain	Blues	247	5.00
Dreamers Like Me - 2007	Rock	302	4.88
A Song For You	Folk	331	5.00
Last Sail (The Goodwillys)	Rock	314	5.00

Title	Artist	Genre	Plays	Rating
Midnight Coffee (with lyrics)	Luca	Blues	378	5.00
The Old Red Box	Luca	Rock	488	4.96
A Song For You	Luca	Folk	331	5.00