For the Sender: Love Is (Not a Feeling)

Author and singer-songwriter Alex Woodard was in the audience, waiting to be called to the stage to perform at New York Times bestselling author Dr. Wayne Dyer's lecture presentation in New York. Dr Dyer's daughter had written him a letter, and Alex had crafted a song about the letter in the spirit of his first Hay House release (For The Sender: Four Letters. Twelve Songs. One Story.). Any moment now, Alex would be asked to play it for the sold-out auditorium.

But first Scarlett Lewis was invited to the stage. Scarlett's son was a six-year-old hero who died saving his friends' lives in the Newtown, Connecticut, elementary-school massacre, and her words of love rang deep through the packed house as she told her story. Alex noticed that Scarlett described love more as an action and less as a feeling, and made a mental note to speak to her after the presentation. Scarlett would soon send Alex a letter - and coupled with the letter from Dr Dyer's daughter, the foundation would be set for Alex's For The Sender: Love Is (Not A Feeling). Through those letters (and three other inspiring examples), and songs from platinum-selling artists written about them, Alex weaves his own story of discovery as he sifts through the competing messages we receive daily about the most powerful of human experiences: love. He challenges mainstream media, the self-help establishment, and the reader to re-examine what really matters: what we actually do, for ourselves and each other. The end result is a deeply empowering reading and listening experience.

Along with singer-songwriter Alex Woodard's long-awaited record deal came the requisite bio, claiming his music industry dominance was just around the corner and assuring his impending fame. But the corner never came, and as that record deal and bio faded into the same gray that envelops so many other promising musicians, a project more beautiful than he could have imagined took its place right in front of him.

Alex began his career in acting and had scored several gigs on television throughout his youth, often appearing on the Love Boat and other familiar shows. During this time he was also teaching himself to play the piano and guitar, dreaming of a songwriting career. After graduating from UCLA, Alex took an office job on the East Coast but knew it wasn't what he was looking for. So after a short stint in Boston's financial district, he packed up his truck and made his way across the country to Seattle, picking up a Labrador puppy along the way. He didn't know that puppy would become his best friend and the driving force behind the project that would launch him into the creative consciousness fifteen years later.

As an adult-alternative music artist, Alex put out five albums in a short 10 years, but it was the Americana-tinged '08 album that found some success. "Halfway" garnered airplay at commercial country radio stations, and a music video for 'Reno', with Sara Watkins of Grammy-winning Nickel Creek fame, spent six weeks on CMT's Pure 12-Pack Countdown, two of those weeks at #1.

Just before the record deal fell apart, Alex used an ambitious promotion on to draw attention to his album, where anyone who preordered it would receive a personalized song about their story. Alex was overwhelmed with the letters he received and had no idea it would later turn into a whole new creative life.



Joining a family of prominent musicians in his small beach town home, such as Sean and Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek), Jon Foreman (Switchfoot), Jordan Pundik (New Found Glory), and singer-songwriter Jack Tempchin, Alex created an entire book, album, and concert about other people's letters. The result is Woodard's, For the Sender: Four Letters. Twelve Songs. One Story, which begins with that puppy he picked up, now a grown dog battling cancer, taking her final breath with her head in his lap. From there the story wraps around the letters and lyrics as it unfolds into a journey of release and redemption, until Alex finds his own letter tucked away in a box high on a shelf. And like a prayer, he realizes that letter was written more for the sender.

Alex spends most of his time in a little beach town north of San Diego with a big brown dog named Stella. When he is not writing and playing music, he can most likely be found surfing, riding his horse, and reading the incredible letters people keep sending him.

For further info visit: www.FortheSender.com or www.AlexWoodard.com