The Greater Boston area is bursting with talent. This week’s edition of The Joy Beat shines a spotlight on Sean Magwire, a school adjustment counselor in Worcester, a gifted singer, songwriter and a finalist in the international John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the folk category. Sean joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath to discuss his journey as a musician. This transcript has been lightly edited.
Arun Rath: First off, tell us a little bit about your journey as a singer-songwriter. When did you first discover music?
Sean Magwire: I think from the moment I could speak and hear I was involved in music. I come from a musical family. My father is a musician, so I grew up following him around in whatever musical situation he was involved in. I started singing in the church at a very early age and choir throughout school. I was a public school product from day one and had some amazing music instructors and educators throughout my time. But I have been writing music since about eighth grade when I learned how to play the guitar.
Rath: Since then, is it just a thing that comes to you? Are you writing songs all the time?
Magwire: Every day. Music is really my therapy, my outlet and my art. I’m always creating, just like any other artist is creating. It’s kind of how I view and interpret the world.
Rath: Tell us about your song, which we’ll be playing momentarily, “Erase This Day.” Was that like therapy for you?
Magwire: I released this whole album in the spring of 2021. The album is called "Songs for Wednesday." It was an album that was completely written during the quarantine period of the COVID pandemic. I recorded it with friends from around the world remotely and mixed it remotely.
This song, “Erase This Day,” is a reminder to my wife and myself — we have two little toddlers, and being locked in the house and the chaos that ensued during that time — that we needed to remain present as much as we could with our kids. Everything in the song, and the lyrics in the song, were real conversations that had occurred between the two of us.
Rath: This is something that’s going to resonate with so many people, including myself. Have you gotten a lot of feedback on this album?
Magwire: Tons of feedback, and it’s really been building the last year. I’ve been playing more songwriting festivals and traveling around a lot more since we’ve come out of the pandemic, and I’ve been playing live again.
I think this is a common thread that everyone has experienced in varying degrees throughout the pandemic.
Rath: I want to squeeze in one more question, and here’s one that I think will be revealing to people in the know: Favorite Beatles song? Favorite Beatles album?
Magwire: Favorite Beatles album: Rubber Soul. Favorite Beatles song: “Norwegian Wood.”
