I just turned 30 last month. Each of my friends has had a different reaction to the milestone. Some have been cool as a cucumber, accepting the new decade with something close to indifference. Others have regressed into last minute "20's" behavior, trying to live it up while they still have the excuse of being in their 20's. Others have straight up been in denial and/or pissed about it. Okay, so maybe I've felt all these things. Luckily, however, instead of riding the roller coaster of different emotions, I decided to make something out of the milestone.

See, the thing is, I'm a lawyer at a large law firm in my hometown of Houston, Texas. My heart, however, is playing guitar, singing and writing music 24/7.  When I was in law school in Nashville, I met some great friends who helped me record a bunch of my songs and get them mixed for free. Once I had them recorded though, there was still a lot to do in order to get an actual album ready for distribution (mastering, artwork, photos, packaging, manufacturing...all that good stuff). Plus, every time I went out to Nashville to visit, we wanted to re-record things to make them sound better and better. So, long story short, I sat on the project for about 3 years.

Wow...3 years. Sometimes I get mad at myself for waiting that long to get my music out there. When I think about the way everything has worked out though, God's timing (or whatever you choose to call it) becomes pretty darn evident.

So back to the pre-30 quasi-panic. A good friend of mine suggested that I put myself on a deadline about releasing the album. I thought that was a great idea, and there was only one date I could think of: The Big 3-0! This turned out to be a really great idea (thanks Shawn), because I was no longer in my head about the big birthday. I didn't have time to be!

The really interesting thing about putting myself on a deadline for releasing the album is that once I started focusing on what really matters to me instead of all the other distractions, it's been amazing how things have started falling into place! For example, I was sitting at a wine bar with some friends when all of a sudden acoustic live music started playing. I talked to the bartender, and an hour later I was playing a few songs. The following week I had my first gig since leaving Nashville in May 2005! Then I learned about how I could digitally release another few songs I'd recorded for next to no money. Awesome! Shortly thereafter, my mom told me about her friend's daughter Jenny, who was part of a group opening a new restaurant in town. Jenny is now one of my good friends, and I'm playing at the restaurant, Ruggles Green, every Thursday night at 9:00! Unreal.

So in a few short months, I've gone from being a late 20's head case lawyer who can't make the time to do anything with my music to a full fledged professional, gigging, early 30's musician with two albums under my belt. Kind of awesome, really.

A long time ago I decided to name the album "Redemption" after one of the songs I wrote, which happens to be about a fight with a guy. Turns out the album name has had so much more resonance and meaning to me than I could have ever anticipated. To anyone out there seeking redemption of their own (and I know I always am), my unsolicited advice is to prioritize and follow whatever it is that fires you up about life. It's funny how things fall into place once you do.

Libby Koch is a real estate attorney, singer-songwriter, proud mom of the cutest dang dog there is, Bridget, and sister of Superstar Extraordinaire Amy Owen (without whom she would be hopelessly lost). She currently resides in fabulous Houston, Texas, where she plays a weekly gig at Ruggles Green, Houston's first Certified Green restaurant. Check out the restaurant website at www.rugglesgreen.com, or if you're in town, please stop by on Thursday nights for delicious food, drinks and live music! Libby's digital debut, The Barn Burner EP , was released in December 2008, and her full length album, Redemption, was released in February 2009. Each is available via , AmazonMP3.com or www.libbykoch.com. Libby is fully amenable to coming to your town to play a show if that's something you can hook her up with!