Spruce, SPIRIO, and Starlight: Adventures in Sound and Stillness”

Wood you Believe it? From Steinway to Starlight

I’ve always believed there’s a kind of magic in the materials we choose to build our lives around — whether it’s the smooth curve of a grand piano or the sturdy elegance of a red oak beam. Wood and music have been quietly shaping my career for years, and it’s no secret that I love any chance to bring the two together.

So you can imagine how excited I am for the opportunity next week to sit down with marketing executive Anthony Gilroy of Steinway & Sons — the iconic piano maker whose instruments are handcrafted in Astoria, New York, using some of the most exquisite hardwoods on earth. We’ll be talking about tradition, innovation, and how Steinway is continuing to stay ahead of the curve (and the keys) with the SPIRIO line — including the high-tech recording plugins that are making serious waves with musicians and engineers alike.

This upcoming article feels a bit like a full-circle moment, although we've been here before: a rare blend of everything I do — storytelling, music know-how, and a little reverence for the forest products that make beauty tangible. I can't wait to share this piece with you soon.

Big thanks to the folks at National Hardwood Magazine (NHM) for giving this story a landing place. It’s not every day you get to write about iconic pianos, cutting-edge music tech, and the forest products that quietly power both — all in one piece. I’m honored to have the space to tell this kind of story, where sound and craftsmanship meet.

A quick flashback to this Fourth of July, when I found myself in a mountaintop treehouse cabin at Starlight Haven in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Nestled high above the ground, the cabin had a glass wall facing the valley below, where fireworks choreographed in the sky set to the music of our lives. Upon entry, the fireplace wasn’t heated (it was July, after all), but the soft flicker gave the whole space a cozy, enchanted vibe. Think firelight, forest air, and a bathtub view that makes you rethink everything you thought you knew about vacation. Story to come soon.

It was a deep breath. A treehouse hymn to rest and reset.

So stay tuned: whether it’s the keys of a piano or the quiet creak of a cabin floor, I’ll be writing about all the places where wood holds the stories and music writes the backstory soundtrack— and I promise to keep bringing them to you, one beautiful detail at a time.