Artist’s Statement
In his book, From Where You Dream: the Process of Writing Fiction, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Olen Butler writes of the element of desire, or “yearning”, as being an essential quality in all good fiction. Although it’s dangerous to generalize about anything in the creative arts, I find that this idea really rings true for me as I contemplate my own work as a composer.
My first scratchings on manuscript paper were motivated by the desire to preserve some tune or chord progression that my pre-adolescent ear (or fingers) had happened upon and found delightful. Later on, my “yearning” for recognition and the respect of my peers (well, really, the “cool kids”) caused me to pursue this craft in hope that “they” would hear a performance of my music, be amazed, and invite me over (this didn’t happen).
Eventually, I realized that a deeper yearning was pushing me into this work: a yearning to communicate, to tell stories, to share journeys of the spirit and the heart, to remind myself and others what it means to be human—that we must learn to be kind to one another if we are to continue to exist together in this world. I believe the deepening of soul is the great impulse of Art, and that all the tools and technologies, histories and performance practices, theories and craft we learn in class and studio and practice room are simply the means by which we might become able, on a good day, to bring a little light into someone’s life.
As I look over the catalog of my own compositions, from those first scratchings on hand-drawn staves to my most recent work, I find certain threads constantly reappearing, though my musical style and mastery of craft have both evolved greatly over nearly six decades. For one thing, I am in love with harmony—the thicker and richer the better (I was in heaven when I first experienced tone clusters in college!). Secondly, I am and have always been a melodist, drawn particularly to tunes that are angular yet singable, whether by voices or instruments (though I clearly have a special affinity for the human voice). Thirdly, in music that is meant to be sung, I am always looking for a text that has integrity and artistic merit. Finally, I want my music to be about something—to tell a tale, sing a praise, heal a soul, or simply to travel with someone who needs company on their journey—and I want that something to surprise, delight, and move the listener as much as it does me.