Hero of the Day: Josh Woodward

It has been a while since I last wrote about a particular hero of mine. Not that I've been running out of candidates, mind you, it's just that for the most part, though there's a 'shortlist' of people that I've had in mind, I just don't feel particularly bothered to write about them, for some reason or another. At least, the timing doesn't seem to be too right, for the most part.

Until now. Not that it's just a matter of timing, it's also a matter of actually feeling like I want to write.

And today, I want to write about Josh Woodward.

I want to write about him, mainly because I think he's a talented musician. Some of his songs are absolutely grade A stuff, and it will tickle your fancy if you like people like Jason Mraz and John Mayer. I'm not saying that he's exactly like them, though, because I do think that there is something that is distinct not just about his voice (duh), but also the lyrics that he writes. They somehow feel literal, and yet manages to maintain some form of subtlety, allowing you to bring in your own interpretation. An example of this can be found in the song 'I'm Letting Go' (see below), from his latest album, 'The Simple Life'.

And here's the rub. All of his songs are available for free, which you can download from his website. This is the second reason why I'm writing about him. With Youtube and other video-sharing websites sprouting up like mushroom these days, almost any Tom, Dick, and Koko Kaina can be heard at the drop of a pin (or, rather, the click of a mouse). But to allow people to download their songs? To actually encourage people to do so? And to tell those who do download them to spread the word? While many view the Internet as a supplementary tool for distribution, to be used for marketing and the like, Josh uses it as the mean as well as the end.

And, for those of you who did take time out to check out my short film, 'At Rainbow's End', you'll notice the song, 'She Dreams In Blue'. Initially, I had wanted to go with Moby's 'Temptation', but as I figured it might cause some copyright issues, I sought other alternatives. Googling Creative Commons songs, then, I came across Josh's website, which lead me to the song. At that moment, I changed my mind, not just because there's a bigger chance of not getting sued by Josh (and he did allow me to use his song for 'Rainbow'), but also because it's...better. In every way. Now 'She Dreams In Blue' ranks fifth in my iTunes chart, out of over 1000 songs.

So here's to you, Josh. Take it away :)

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