JOAN OF AUDIO & MUSIC

By Rain Jordan

A HIGHER LOVE

Think about it, there must be higher love Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above Without it, life is wasted time. Look inside your heart, I'll look inside mine.

Steve Winwood

PART I: THE LYRICIST

“But it isn’t easy,” said Pooh. “Because poetry and hums aren’t things which you get, they’re things which get you. And all you can do is to go where they can find you.”

This is Part I of a three part series, entitled, A Higher Love, celebrating the emergent artist or creative. The series will feature mostly music artists who are prolific creators but are not necessarily “famous” or signed to a notable record label (yet). However, despite their mainstream anonymity they wholeheartedly follow their calling; and throughout their musical journey they discover that their work and ultimately their lives are shaped by a higher love.

The first article in this series is an interview with songwriter and producer, Mickel London, a gifted lyricist, who has lived in the San Francisco Bay area for most of his life, though his roots are in Louisiana. Mickel’s body of work encompasses over 42 recorded songs

Painting by Rossetti

within a diverse mix of genres, from R &B, Soul, Pop, Contemporary Christian and Gospel, Soundtrack, and many songs that cross over genres. The collective power of his songs is their capacity to uplift, inspire, and connect, which is quite rare in popular music these days. In his interview (below) he talks about the inspiration and creative impetus for his songwriting, the many renowned artists he’s worked with, his future creative endeavors, and his newest songs. Also included is video footage of Mickel in the recording studio, a very cool peek into the production and creative process of recording a song. The descriptions for the videos are at the end of this article.

One of the decisive factors for choosing Mickel for this series, in addition to his