I honestly never thought I would be back here…to live that is…to explore a “simple life” for a while….but being here is where I need to be, where I have been being pulled for a long time now. Time to make new memories…to find new dreams…to be with my family every day, not just holidays…for time goes so fast and I’m tired of missing everything.

That’s the thing about dreams right? They evolve…some fade and new ones come to light. Most of all I know that my piano in the window will lead me to new inspiration and hopefully the best work of my life.
Thanks Grandma…
Peace, be you,
Jake

Thought of the day…Lois, my Grandma, who died last night….Feb 22, 2008

There is poetry to be written tonight, yet I do not believe it will spring from my mind. This morning my grandma died. Her name was Lois, was….Lois….She turned 79 years old two days ago. I know this because I called her late at night and for a brief few moments, we spoke of….well, we spoke. I don’t remember about what, how she felt, how the album was selling…oh yeah, she emailed her 80 year old friends about it, though she didn’t know if they’d order any. We spoke of Christmas, where we went to my Aunts’ house in the Desert Mountains where they had built a house from nothing. And I carried her from bed in the morning to her chair with sleep still in her eyes, and I carried her in her winter coat with fake fur on the hood from the car to the cart, the cart to the car, the car to the bed and so on, and so on…..I picked her up, like a servant would his beloved queen, without thought or doubt. I could feel when she was comfortable and sense when she felt awkward. I liked that. We watched the Kennedy center honors and (this is true) I was next to her when she saw falling snow for the first time in her life.
My grandma was born in Los Angeles, went to UCLA, went dancing on the Santa Monica pier to the Tommy Dorsey band on a first date with a gangly charming red head named Milt who she would marry, him fresh from the south pacific and her, a strong headed legal secretary in HOLLYWOOD, the real Hollywood, the Hollywood of the 40′s and 50′s. They went to the theater and she wore gowns. Clark Gable gave her and one of her girlfriends a ride home from school one day when she was 12. She had two sons, one my dad, and then she got polio. Polio was a virus nearly defeated and at 25, a dancing lively mother of two toddlers lived in an iron lung for a year, and would walk on crutches (deadly weapons to naughty little boys) the rest of her life. She was and became more so very independent. She had a girl Lori at age 33, my Aunt, my other Mom in life. A life was lived. Full, and interwoven with hardships and tragedy and joy and meaning….My Grandpa died 17 years ago. He was an amazing man who she shared 40 plus years with. He had a scratchy beard and my sister adored him….everyone did. When he died my parents built an apartment onto the side of our house. So you see, when I think of HOME I think of her. It was cool to have her around, I remember that. She did the crossword every day. She cooked passover dinner every year. She loved Toni Bennett and frank and Bing and Barbara, Sammy and Dean…she was of an era and yet of her own. Every time I visit, for many years now we talk of this city, of Los Angeles today and yesteryear. We compared stories and talked about what was where and what used to be this or what happened to who. It was like we were both completing half forgotten stories that were such big parts of our minds, of our dreams, of ourselves. That was our time, when the rest of the family would somehow or another fade to other places in the house, and we would just be, with jeopardy, or poker, or rummy, or a quick bowl of cereal. She was cuddly and you wanted to protect her, though she held little fear. I have a vision of something my Mom told me…a couple weeks ago my Mom called to say that through the wall she could hear Grandma playing my album. This 78 year old woman listening to her grandson’s passion and work. And then she listened to it again. She was goofy sometimes and passively aggressive by nature. She was strong, stronger than that word means to most of us, yet she knew loneliness. She knew love and hope, she knew me…from day one. And I know her. Tomorrow morning I go home to be with her kids and grandkids and lifelong friends, friends of 60 years….friends who were the witness to her life.

Couldn’t do it without you.
Peace, be you, Jake

On June 5th, 2010 my sister Katie got married in the redwoods to an incredible man named Muiris. Everyone gathered for the weekend to be a part of what would be one of the most memorable and enchanting weekends of our lives. Who knew baby Clara would join us only 10 months later. Although I sung at the wedding, it was not this song, though I did sing the intro…I guess I had to experience it first hand in order to write a song worthy of what I got to witness that late summer afternoon. There is no one in this world I am more proud of than my sister and I thank her and all in these videos and photos for allowing me to create this video and share it with the world. I hope it speaks to you, makes you smile, makes you cry. Everybody wants the same something different in this life, but I do believe there is a common hope, that one day, even if for a moment, we will find someone who will above all else will tell us “for you anything”.
No time.
No fear.
Only love.

Come find me and so many other dreamers at

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All songs available on Itunes, Amazon and

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Peace, be you, Jake

( Letter to my 15 year old me)

Peace, be you,
Jake

Living in the clouds feels so easy, but really, it slowly defeats us. No, we must
live within this world. We can do anything. And it’s always worth it

So much to come

“Be Still” (from the album Alive and Screaming) listen free on Spotify and share!

http://open.spotify.com/track/0NeeaHALjnc6cStZ4ddPbJ#

We are allowed to make mistakes. We are allowed to fuck up real bad. We all do. We are allowed to admit to and fix that which stops our purpose, to love, to find and live in meaning…and most of all, for me at least, to have peace within.

“…still every time I wipe my eyes when I begin to realize ALL that life is,
it’s almost brave
to show our faces
to reveal our names” ( Almost Brave 2011)

Peace, be you, Jake

It reminded me that from birth to death, all growth knows
some pain. It is a natural wonder, a gift wrapped in razor blades.

Our bodies grow, our minds grow, our power of spirit grows, our
relationships and understandings and hearts, they all must grow in order
to stay alive…and many times in happens in bursts. And many times we stall. Many times we crawl into a hole, or more often are thrown into one kicking and screaming.

And the Dreamers so often just keep walking even as dusk approaches and our innate youthful hope tells us the dark will not hinder us…we don’t need our eyes, we have walked these paths before….our faith leads us further and further into the dark…and one step later, you are confused, bruised, scared and angry having fallen into a deep, earthen hole. Maybe you will go mad scraping your way out. Maybe you will find your peace within the confines of your hidden prison before hands reach down and pull you out with MIGHT.

Maybe the only way out is time. And it will hurt. And your sanity and faith and hope will be tested.

Growing pains are beautiful. They scream in our conscious and rattle our
bones and allow us the gift of continued life.

Does anyone remember being a teenager and literally going through growth spurts? When I was 16, I went to live as an exchange student in Denmark. I left 5’6″ and came back 6 feet tall where I stand today. Only I don’t remember feeling a thing. It didn’t hurt at ALL! In fact, at that time, for those brief months and months in that foreign land I was free and oblivious…free perhaps in a way I may never know again.
Free from my mind. I didn’t know who I was? I didn’t care. I just LIVED and it was beautiful. And I grew..yes, I did…looking back, in almost every way one can in life….as I/we do today…and yet, the pains are now undeniable. I”m alive right? Can you hear my steps? Even in the dark? I hear you…

Peace, be you,
Jake

No wonder it always feels a little unreal.

And I know only one thing…
I’ll never understand…

Who am I to question?

Peace, be you, be brave,
Jake

Peace, be you, Jake

www.facebook.com/jakewaldenofficial

also, don’t forget to check out my new merch store. I like walking to the post office…

http://jakewalden.spinshop.com/