Foreword

(Pic: All CD releases from 1990 - 2005)

2006 – 26 years of making music! It seems like a lifetime but it also seems time passed by in the blink of an eye. At the end of the day you only notice that:

a) Wow, I am getting old
b) I still haven’t got a hit

But in all fairness to the statements above, it is not (only) about the fame, the groupies and the money - it is more about not being able to reach an audience and not being able to change the world through art.

But then again, looking back at all the achievements and the “nearly achieved” things it is about a way of living and it gives me comfort to receive nice letters and emails from people who tell me that they feel they’ve known me for years and that my music means a lot to them.

I started making music at the age of 13, nearly the same age my son is in now, and now he shows an interest in what my music is all about and he is asking questions about songs and lyrics and he even things my music is better than the music of my heroes “Kiss” and “Prince”.
Although I am sure this perception will change soon.

The most amazing thing is that even though he lives 2000km away he feels a certain closeness while listening to my music. It seems that my “Sensitivity – The Best Of TJ” came at the right time as it is a stock taking of my development over a period of 15 years and my son Kevin can somehow relate to it.

I had a good few independent chart entries over the last decade and my song “How Many Times” written and recorded in December 2003 and released on the “Sensitivity” CD just made it into VH-1s “Song Of The Year” dance / electronic – charts which gives me a sense of achievement.

Especially because it is a song writing competition chart and the latest reviews were just great. But what does that mean? How did music effect my life and my relationships over the last 2 ½ decades and has it taken its toll?

In order to understand that and in order to understand how the music industry has changed and how it works these days, one must follow me to the humble beginnings ….