Greetings, and welcome to my website. My name is Jamie McElman, and I'm a songwriter. With these words I launched my original website on October 1, 2006. Well, some years have passed and some more songs have been written, and I’m excited to welcome you to my newly reimaged website, Mountain Rise Music. This labor of love remains a work in progress, with additional pages and content to be added as the need arises.

I like words. Initially an adolescent poet describing my love of nature and my awkward feelings about girls, I've been playing guitar and writing songs since 1976. Many of my songs are good. In recent years I’ve rediscovered my love for performing, yet my true strength and focus lies in songwriting.

Writing songs is my way of understanding the world around me. Everyone needs a means of expression to keep the wild dogs at bay. My muses have changed over the years, but my observations of the human condition, relationships, and occasionally politics provide much of the fuel for my songwriting. Inspiration lies everywhere: a simple phrase uttered by a friend or the sound of a guitar have sparked the creative process. I’m grateful to the universe for this gift, and my resulting sanity.

Look around and enjoy yourself. Please let me know what you think.

All good things.

Jamie, June 17, 2022