My background in music has historically been as a lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist in genre’s of Rock and Roll, Blues, and Country-Rock. I have performed on East and West coasts. In the mid-sixties, when performing in the San Francisco Bay Area, I was the original lead vocalist for The Transatlantic Atlantic Railroad, opening for such groups as the Grateful Dead (soon after changing their name from The Warlocks), The Young Bloods, and Sopwith Camel.

I continue to be very active as a singer-songwriter, having released and performed my third album, Stroke In Time, in March 2024. My first two albums are entitled Raw Vintage Studio (double album-2012) and Truth Be Known (2018). Often the lyrical content of my songwriting reflects a range of personal interpretations of relationship dynamics, life choices, and reflective commentary on the political/social/cultural states of the world, seemingly “low-hanging-fruit” for lyrical ideas.

As with art in general, my intentions in songwriting reflect expressions of personal views and life experiences, which may in turn elicit for listeners, moments of personal meaning,  feelings and emotions; as a songwriter, I would hope.

Throughout my lifetime, music has played an integral role to who I am, how I think, how I feel. Since my early youthful fascination with the touch, look, and sound of a guitar, and finding my voice to sing lyrical passages, music has followed me throughout my life, no matter what I was doing, what I was experiencing, it has been omnipresent. Indeed, I have come to realize in those times I was apart from my music, my mood was adversely affected. Although my professional career was that of a clinical psychologist, over many years it has struck me that engagements in music (performing solo and with others, playing instruments, singing, songwriting, recording and producing), have had substantial, sustaining impact on my own mental health, my valued directions in life, hope, energy and resilience. Music has also been central to my relationships within family and friendships, to cultural respect and appreciation, to a sense of responsibility to nature and this land we all live on.

My sincere appreciation to all who may be listening to my music, now and going forward.

J. Monroe