Back in the day, people used to have "affiliates" pages on their websites. Some still do. Anyway, in keeping with the theme, I'm using this page to link to people I like, introduced in typical rambly fashion. I'll be adding a few at a time in sets - this first set contains former, current, and potential future musical collaborators:

Owen Schwartzbard writes music and makes award-winning films; he has been a friend and collaborator of mine for almost half of my life! We started playing music together in high school in a band called The Sound of Mimes (and later, The Sound of Mimes Breakup Experiment). He lives far away, but we still occasionally make music together as a duo called Left to Write.

I met Sam Torres and Sophia Vastek less than a year ago, but I'd like to think we would have been childhood friends if we'd grown up together. Sophia is awesome and can play the piano more gently than anybody I know; she was recently featured in Saratoga Living! Even though Sam's press photos are sometimes very serious-looking, he's actually pretty goofy, and sometimes he headbangs a little when he plays bass. I had the pleasure of performing with both of them recently as part of Organ Colossal, a collective they founded.

Also, their cat has her own Instagram account; it's the only Insta that makes me genuinely reconsider not having one...

Ira Marcks and Maura Marcks are former bandmates (Walking X-Ray) who also happen to be pet owners and wonderful people. Ira is an illustrator, educator, and a generally fun person to be around. Conversations with him usually include brotherly verbal jabs and an appropriate level of appreciation for Alanis Morissette's musical output in the 1990's. Maura has been making super-cool shirts these days and has also been known to design pint glasses, tap dance, and play accordion. I'm pretty sure there isn't anything she can't do!

Mike Dwyer is the one-man magic show at The Bunker Recordings, which is where Mixed Feelings transformed from a set of ideas into a "super-rad EP" (his words, not mine). Just the fact that he put up with me during the process earns him a spot on this list, but on top of that, he's also super talented and a sweet guy to boot. If you're wondering where to record your next project, I highly recommend checking out his studio!

I barely know Patrick Burke, but I consider him something of a kindred spirit based on his piece, Unravel, played beautifully here by Sophia. I overheard a few measures during soundcheck, and I think my exact words were, "is that Patrick's piece? I like him already." So, maybe we will collaborate in the future, or maybe I will just continue to enjoy listening to his work. I'll be happy either way.