Announcing the release of Tim's debut CD, "Go Fly A Kite

Tim Quarberg is a singer-songwriter from Stillwater, Minnesota.  His debut CD, "Go Fly A Kite", was completed in August of 2007 and is now available through CDBaby and may be downloaded from Apple iTunes.

Visit Tim's MySpace page here:

Hear what others have to say:

"I am overwhelmed, amazed and full of awe.  I have just finished listening to your CD, and am now listening to it again.  Both the words you have written, and your voice draw the listener into to an experience which transcends both intellect and feeling.  Some of the songs almost bring tears to my eyes.  Tears would probably come were it not that I was raised with 'boys don't cry.'"

"Most artists deal with the angst of being a teenager / young adult. In contrast, Tim's songs are for those years after our 20's where life is less about romance and more about finding purpose or meaning. In Go Fly A Kite he demonstrates his great abilities as a story-teller and musician - all fueled by his keen insight, faith and reflection. I truly enjoyed this CD."

"Tim possesses a fervent songwriting style that is both inspiring and connective. My ears and heart were pleased by his art. Most of all, it's extraordinary to see him pursuing his dream.

Stillwater Gazette Article

-October 12, 2007

During the day, Tim Quarberg spends his time working through litigation at a local law office. But by night, locals might spot him playing his brand of contemporary acoustic folk music in one of the area coffee houses.

Quarberg, of Stillwater, has previously performed at Northern Vineyards Winery, Brine's Bar and Restaurant, Dunn Bros. coffee shop and the Dreamcoat cafe. He recently released his first full-length record, titled "Go Fly a Kite."

While he has played guitar for about 40 years, Quarberg has only been writing songs for six years. Still, Quarberg said the lyrics hold more significance than the music. After hearing him talk about the title track, "Go Fly a Kite," that statement becomes evident.

"That song is about sort of rediscovering lost innocence. The song is about a guy, an adult, who feels like he lost something really core to him," he said. "I remember looking in the mirror, and saying, 'Who the hell is that? What have I done, you know? Where is the me, that's really me?' So that song is really about trying to reclaim, as an adult, that really essential part of myself."

Salvation and redemption are consistent themes throughout the album - Quarberg initially considered calling the album "Redemption."

Spirituality is also a recurring subject, but Quarberg, a non-practicing ordained Lutheran pastor, said listeners shouldn't slap a Christian label on his tracks. Certain songs may deal with those themes, he added, but other songs may be completely removed from the Christian music rubric.

"I'm not the first person to say this - I've never been interested in being religious. I do care about being faithful," he said. "I think being faithful is not really concerned about custom or tradition. It's concerned more about fulfilling a purpose."

One of his songs, "Ordained," was based off a previous conversation with a friend who had "hit a wall" in his personal life, Quarberg recalled. The friend was thinking about becoming an ordained member of the clergy and the lyrics deal with what the term "ordained" should mean.

"You should do what you were meant to do. Don't think that going into the ministry is the only thing that God wants you to do," he said.

In releasing his first CD, Quarberg said he has once again discovered part of himself that had forgotten, a dream that had simply been deferred.

"Dreams are something you can do, fantasies are something that you know you can't do," he said. "To me it was a fantasy, and then it became a dream. And then the dream came true."

Six years ago, during a conversation with his wife Amy, Quarberg told her that he always wanted to be a singer-songwriter. Though he had learned to play guitar as a middle-schooler, and played in bands through college, he had never sung himself.

"And she looked and me and said, 'So why haven't you done anything about it?'" he recalled.

Driving home from work the next day, Quarberg wrote his first song.

"It wasn't bad, it was actually a song," he said. "I've been playing guitar since I was a little kid, but I just would never sing. And I started getting all these songs, and feeling like, 'Gosh, I've got to do something with them.' And I just felt that I've got to do it."

His first performance was at Northern Vineyards Winery, a performance that he didn't necessarily feel ready for, but went ahead with anyway.

"Nov. 30, 2003. Can you tell it meant a lot to me?" Quarberg said, laughing. "When I did it, it was a feeling like, 'Oh my God.' It was great."
© 2007 The Stillwater Gazette