We are proud to announce the release of nine carefully composed remastered songs and accompanying videos on all major streaming channels and YouTube. They include a VERY special duet with my daughter, Michelle, a song with just Michelle, a song that carries the voices of our family, a song dedicated to a very special family, and finally a song dedicated to my brother Patrick who I lost on St. Patrick’s Day, 2024. 

The album, called A Life Redacted, reflects positive changes in my life and my relationship with my daughter in our premier song duet, Second Chances. Our second duet and family effort, Give, brings the O’Donnell family together to sing about the art of living, forgiving and giving. Finally, Hey Patrick is my personal song for my brother Patrick. 

All the music on this album is the culmination of years of composing and performing packed into a single effort straight from our heart to yours. 

Welcome to Our Music

Click on a song to watch and listen

Second Chances, re-written from the movie I scored in the 1990's is a duet with my daughter Michelle about the redemption possible in all relationships. Michelle was critical in re-working the lyrics to match our story and message, as well as adding spectacular ideas to the vocals. Also, there is no AI, no tricks, and no autotune. Michelle provides her pitch perfect serene vocals proving she has chops as good as anyone.

Driftwood is a statement song about Gen Z and Millennials. The lyrics "If we see a mountain, we don’t climb. But we want a miracle, the easiest kind" expresses observations of frustrated generations. 

Hunting for Heaven speaks to our pining for peace, and how each one of us has our own thoughts of what Heaven is.  

Heart of Darkness was the novella that inspired the movie Apocalypse Now. This song explores the mind of the soldier trapped in a war he doesn't want. He finds he fought many battles on the front lines, but many more personal battles when he retuned home. Cudos to Michelle for an outstanding video. 

Remembering is just what it sounds like, a musing of past relationships and memories and how perspectives change as we grow older. In this song, Michelle digs deep delivering a powerful soulful performance.

Shine On is a tribute to Krystina Stahl who lost her life to suicide in 2002. Michelle and I hope this song, Shine On, provides a relational comfort and solace to all those who have experienced this tragedy. May all who have left this earth in sorrow, Shine On into tomorrow.

Give features our entire family on vocals. The song is a discovery of the underlying goodness innate in mankind. The most common phrases people say as their dying wish is "do you love me?" and "do you forgive me?" Give delivers an important message about love, forgiveness, and understanding.

Ghost Girl is about the perfect girl you imagined existed until you realize there was no such person. You were chasing that perfect ghost girl all your life. This is the first time we used A.I. and we used it for the video. Michelle carefully crafted the video to match the story. This wasn't telling A.I. a paragraph of instructions and letting it make the video. Michelle went frame by frame editing and crafting each part of the video spending many hours to match the lyrics. Again kudos to Michelle for an outstanding video. 

Hey Patrick finishes the album with a tribute to my brother Patrick, who passed away on St. Patrick’s Day 2024 from cancer at the tender age of 57.

LISTEN TO A LIFE REDACTED

YOUTUBE (with videos)

SPOTIFY

https://open.spotify.com/album/39e59oqSYUFeqENsqXCIog?utm_campaign=website&utm_medium=Email+&utm_source=SendGrid

APPLE iTUNES

https://music.apple.com/us/album/a-life-redacted/1766004298

BANDCAMP

IHEART RADIO

https://www.iheart.com/artist/joseph-odonnell-35555946/albums/a-life-redacted-286783773/?utm_campaign=website&utm_medium=Email%20&utm_source=SendGrid

Michelle O'Donnell was born with a paint brush in one hand and song sheet in the other. Whenever we speak to Michelle, we are more than likely interrupting her humming a tune. Michelle enjoyed early guitar lessons and still enjoys picking up the instrument. Her enthusiasm for learning, whether it is the art form of drawing or her passion for singing, puts  Michelle in the constant state of improvement. Michelle started at an early age story boarding cartoons moving on to her love of singing, especially harmonies.

What some may not know is that Michelle has the rare gift of perfect relative pitch. This means if a sequence of notes is played to her, she can repeat them accurately every time. I call her "one take Michelle." She has also developed her voice over the years with hundreds of hours spent practicing harmonies and complicated arrangements from Celine Dion and the like.

Michelle has a critical role in rearranging lyrics and melodies. As songs and arrangements are presented to her, she offers incredible suggestions that make the songs infinitely better. 

Michelle is also responsible for all the videos you see accompanying these songs as well as reworking lyrics on Second Chances, Give, Shine On, Hey Patrick and Remembering. She also created my album cover exposing her creative talents as an artist designer. 

Today Michelle enjoys a full-time occupation at the American School for the Deaf working with deaf, blind, and autistic children, some of whom are afflicted with all three conditions. Her love and patience with special needs children is a gift and her calling.

________________________________