After all, there’s no assurance of what, if anything, tomorrow may bring. In effect, it helped him realize the need to accomplish all one can in the here and now. Happily, the surgery was successful, and in its aftermath, he gained a new outlook on life.

Unfortunately, Leahey’s life took an unexpected turn when doctors discovered he had a brain tumor that could have killed him. I figured I could try and be a cheerleader for the good music that existed in the world.” So I pursued the next avenue, which was to write about it. “I felt kind of silly about the idea that I could exist in that world as a performer. “I think part of the reason why I pursued music journalism was that I wanted to be in that world,” he reflects. That dedication to his muse also inspired him to pick up his pen and share other observations as well. So I left classical music behind and went back to rock and roll.” After a couple of years of that, I realized, this is not really where I want to be. With classical music, you’re performing what’s on the written page, and you perform it the exact same way every time. I craved the flexibility of playing in a band. “And yet I was at the point where I realized, that if this is the view from the top, this isn’t necessarily what I want.

“I found myself climbing the ladder of classical music,” Leahey recalls. Leahey says that while his experience performing with the Juilliard chorale offered him the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall and Rockefeller Center, it was the lure of rock and roll that truly enticed him. 2, an album that relays songs spun from a decidedly personal perspective. A tough and tenacious set of songs stirred from a heartland sensibility, it spawned a sequel in the recently-released American Static Vol. 1, won a wealth of critical kudos, including an album of the year nod from this particular publication. Nevertheless, these dual responsibilities haven’t deterred Leahey from finding success on his own. These days, Leahey continues to multi-task, maintaining his role at the helm of his band The Homestead, while also serving as lead guitarist for Elizabeth Cook’s backing band. The experience allowed him the opportunity to hew his analytical skills and exercise his ambitions at the same time. Eventually, he would diversify his efforts yet again while crossing over to another side of the artistic divide, becoming an English major at the University of Virginia and eventually a budding music writer and critic. Later, he plied his skills in a series of high school bands, but once he reached his early twenties, he was recruited by the Juilliard Choral Union, an outgrowth of the Juilliard School of Music.

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