How He Found His Way Back Through Music
There comes a point when life stops moving in straight lines. It is not because direction is lost. It is because experience creates the space to question what comes next.
That is where Dean Brandsma’s story begins.
In this preview episode of the RestlessUrban podcast, hosted by Andrew Bowins, we sit down with a musician and storyteller whose work explores what happens when life asks you to begin again. His journey is not driven by ambition alone. It is shaped by disruption, reflection, and the decision to respond with something honest.
Dean did not set out to become a recording artist later in life. His path shifted through career change, personal loss, and the realization that the life he had built no longer fit. Around the age of 50, after the end of his marriage and years in demanding roles, he found himself starting over with experience as his only guide.
What followed was not reinvention for its own sake. It was restoration.
Music became the entry point. It offered more than expression. It became an invitation.
As Dean describes it, picking up a guitar was not about performance. It was about creating space to process, to reconnect, and to move forward with intention. Music invited him to slow down, to listen, and to engage with life in a more deliberate way. Over time, that practice became a form of healing and a pathway to creativity.
That invitation is present in songs like Crossroads and Two Nights in Memphis.
Crossroads reflects the tension of midlife and the awareness that change is both necessary and possible. Two Nights in Memphis tells a quieter story of connection, where time, presence, and shared experience take on greater meaning.
In this conversation, Dean speaks openly about creating without certainty, sharing something personal after decades of structure, and embracing the idea that this stage of life is not about stepping back. It is about refining what matters.
As the premiere episode of the RestlessUrban podcast, this sets the tone. These are real conversations with people who are actively shaping what life after 50 can become.
Dean Brandsma’s story is an invitation.
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Curious to hear more? Order the album today directly from Dean.
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