Ken Buchanan, Songwriter

Ken Buchanan; award-winning songwriter based in TN.

Ken grew up in the 1970/1980 era in Shinglehouse (Pa.) located in rural PotterCounty, an area so beautiful that the locals proudly call it “God’s Country”. Shinglehouse has a higher elevation (1,492) than population (1,250) so Ken’s hobbies were happily limited to hunting, fishing and listening to an abundance of country music.

At the early age of 4, Ken started taking piano lessons and soon after developed a keen interest in music composition. He was a regular performer at local events, and provided piano accompaniment for middle school choral programs. He quickly became an accomplished concert pianist, banging out the likes of Bach and Beethoven with the best of them. He self taught himself the fundamentals of guitar and never looked back, playing keyboards and acoustic guitar in several area bands that performed at local venues such as the Coudersport Parks. 

Ken’s appreciation for music matured through his high school years at Portville (N.Y.) Central School where he studied music theory, played trumpet in the school bands, and provided piano accompaniment for vocal students. He formed several stage bands as lead keyboardist, winning numerous first place honors at local talent events and competitions such as the Cattaraugus County Fair. He was awarded summer scholarships to attend the State Univeristy of New York at Fredonia (N.Y.) where he was a highly touted concert pianist, culminating in standing room only recitals. In 1983 he became drum major of the award-winning Portville Panther Marching Band. Among his honors was to place in the top three among dozens of drum majors at the 1984 Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in Washington, D.C. He received the coveted Espirit de Corps award, and took part in the wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Still, Ken’s true love was country music as he listened to the sounds of Hank Williams Jr., Alabama, and that gang of Good Ol’ Boys, while driving the old logging roads. It was during this time period that Ken took songwriting to a serious level by joining the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) where he began collaborating with Nashville based songwriters.

Not seeing a career path in performing, Ken made the gut-wrenching decision to bypass music eduation and graduated from Edinboro (Pa.) University in 1987 with his degree in computer technology ... although he found plenty of time to hit the studio rooms in the music buildings and perform in the Spirit of the Scots Marching Band. As Ken set off on his own, he continued strumming away on his acoustic guitar and writing country music. He was inspired by the likes of Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn and Travis Tritt. Ken wrote countless songs, from the upbeat Snakin’ Around to the laid back Ode To Uncle Roy – a song written while camping at Letchworth State Park (N.Y.) on a late summer night; an idea spawned by his younger brother Mike.

In the 1990s, music took a backseat to family life as Ken married his sweetheart Debbie and he became the proud father of three sons – David, Tyler and Nathan, and settled into the Washington D.C. area. Providing food on the table took priority over penning country tunes, and Ken’s blooming career as a sales executive in the wireless telecom industry had him traveling to the corners of the world … he was racking up hundreds of thousands of frequent flier miles while his songs collected dust in an old box.

In 2004 Ken took time away from his telecom job to concentrate on fully launching his songwriting career and composing new material. He frequented the Nashville scene, and also won his first award from Songwriters' Association of Washington (SAW). His writing style leans toward the musical tastes of Toby Keith, Travis Tritt, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw and Hank Williams Jr. 

“I may never have a second chance to see if my songs are good enough to be produced on an album,” Ken said. “My passion for music has been rekindled and that may be reward enough.”

That Black Box is Ken's signature song, but it is more just than a song. It is a state of mind and the human need to follow our dreams. Perhaps you have a stash of family photographs collecting dust at the bottom of your closet. Or you have a dream to open a family business, publish a novel or become a firefighter, teacher or dancer. Whatever you have contained in That Black Box, go recover it and remember those who have inspired you. Ken’s love of music was evident in his high school yearbook where next to his senior picture he listed the quote: “Music is to the mind as air is to the body”. For too many years his music was tucked away in the back of his mind – but today Ken’s passion for writing songs has brought that breath of fresh air back into his life.