Where Stories Become Songs

First Experiment

Blue and White

"Blue and White" was my first song experiment — created with Joe Colwell, a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Woodstock, New York, then studying at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Dedicated to the supporters of Paysandu Sport Club, the most important soccer team in José's hometown of Belém, the song tells a story of passion, belonging, and cultural identity. Produced by Diego Clavixus, it reached thousands of fans and made Paysandu the only Brazilian soccer club with a song in English.

Second Experiment

Song Experiments

I founded Song Experiments with Winston Thayer and Sam Velez. It is an intergenerational collaboration born at the University of Miami. Our first album, Volume 1, brings together eight songs that range from electronic dance music to lovely ballads. Each song asks a fundamental question:

• 1What if music could set us completely free? (Please, Enchant Me)
• 2What if the entire universe is already making music — and we just need to listen? (Nature Is a Musician)
• 3In a world full of noise and regret, how do we find and follow our own path? (Trust Your Way)
• 4What does it look like when we balance heads, hands and hearts? (dedicated to Pope Francis) (Francis's New Dance)
• 5Can we really put a price tag on the things that make life worth living? (Everything Has a Price)
• 6When everyday life feels like a grind, where can we find a moment of peace? (Inner Universe)
• 7What does it cost — and what does it give — to dedicate your life to a passion no one else believes in? (dedicated to Emilie Snethlage) (Emilie)
• 8And when life offers no easy answers, and the odds are stacked against you, what do you do? (Cope)