The World in Your Hands

Of all the things I’ve accomplished in my life up to this point, and from here forward, I will never be more proud of anything than my daughter. She is and will always be my greatest accomplishment. With that in mind, I wanted to write a piece for her since she was born; she’s now 6. It’s taken quite a bit of time- lots of starts and stops, and a number of abandoned ideas. Then, I heard this simple chord progression one night late after practicing and I decided to work with it. I’ve spent the better part of two years going back and forth with this piece, never feeling like it would ever be quite finished, but here it is. Ultimately, I want my pieces to mean something personal and unique to the performer, but since this piece is for my daughter, I’ll offer a brief explanation: As a dad, I’m always hoping time slows down a little because my little one is growing up so fast. That said, I often dream of who she will become, and what she will do as she grows up. It’s fun and scary, and a number of other emotions rolled into one when I do this, but I know that she will grow up no matter how much I wish for her to stay a little a bit longer. This work is my dreams about her realized in sound. As a parent, I look at her each day and realize that the whole world is in her hands, her whole life and all its ups and downs before her still. While this is the most personal work I’ve written, (which is scary putting it out therefor others to judge), I sincerely hope the performers make it personal to them, and decide what story they wish to tell.