Reflections

May 26 was a big day for me, it was the day Reflections got released. It is 3 years of my life that has gone into it and the book is about the last seven critical months in my husbands’ life. He was diagnosed with cancer in July 2017 and died in February 2018.  And yet it is a book of hope, healing, how to face fears and not be afraid to live life in full, no matter what. So to honor him and the book that is based on his blogs during those months, here is a background to his life.

Songwriter and Composer

Brian Hobbs, a songwriter and composer was dedicated to music most of his life. He wrote both music and lyrics in many different genres from R&B, funk, jazz, big band, instrumental, bossa, pop, country and even musicals. He was an encyclopedia when it came to early twentieth century music and his first inspiration was George and Ira Gershwin.

When Brian moved to Sweden he became the person to go to when it came to lyrics, but he also made quite a few instrumental albums on his own and he loved doing that. He found his perfect writing partner in Andreas Aleman and together they wrote Andreas four albums.

Brian also had songs released in Japan and Spain and many other countries. Here in Sweden he wrote lyrics for Björn Skifs, Janne Schaffer, Stefan Gunnarsson, Nils Landgren and many more. His highlight was when Michael Mc Donald sang on one of his and Andreas songs. But it was not until June 2017 that Brian released his first album that he sang on. He did not consider himself a singer so this was a big hurdle for him to overcome. He was already feeling his sickness but had not yet been diagnosed when the album was released. The album is called Genesis of Who I Am and is a reflection of who he was.

The biggest change once he got diagnosed with cancer was his lack of fear about putting out music that in his ears was not perfectly mixed and mastered yet. He knew that his time was measured and he wanted to get it all out there. During a few months he managed to release the following albums.

Brian Hobbs last albums

• Genesis of Who I Am
• Reflections (the album, not the book)
• Impressions of the Outer Banks 2
• Healing Purpose
• The Independent Man (a musical)

These are the albums he relased from June 2017 to the end of the year. He also released the book The Craft of Creating which is a book about songwriting. The book came out in early January 2018 a month before he died so he was quite sick by then and I helped him get it all in order.

Brian truly found his life purpose when he realized he had inspired so many young students that he had taught as a singer-songwriter teacher.

The Earlier Albums

Here are some of his instrumental albums that he also played on and produced.

• Impressions of the Outer Banks
• Candle in the Window
• Balancing Body and Mind
• Second Glances

These are albums he co-wrote all or most of the songs:

• Andreas Aleman 4 albums: This is Life, It’s the Journey, Home for Christmas, From Within
• Peter Getz: Bossa my Soul
• Monica Silverstrand: Been There Done That
• Albert Hobbs Big Band: Love Remembered
• Charlotte & Dea: Alabaster Nights

This is far from all Brian wrote but I know he was especially proud of these albums.

The Lesson of the Book Reflections

I hope the lesson to be learned is don’t wait for the perfect moment to get things done. If you have a dream of writing, painting, singing or whatever it is, just dive right in.  Let go of the fear of not being good enough or being judged. As long as you enjoy what you do, you have found your purpose in life and a way to feel fulfilled. For more inspiration go to Reflections, a Story of Hope, Healing, Facing Fears and Finding Purpose

Face Your Fears and Live Your Purpose

Fia Hobbs

www.fiahobbs.com

www.stresstostrength