If Heaven Were to Know: Prelude
I’d first like to note that details in this post have been summarized to shorten otherwise lengthy explanations.
The Story
June 30th is a very special day for me. Five years ago my mother had succumb to her cancer. She had been fighting it valiantly for years but eventually it proved to be too much. Although I miss her deeply I had decided years ago that it was not a day to mourn nor a day to regret nor feel sorry for myself. It is a day to celebrate. For life, her life, is worth celebration.
Since then I’ve done my best to live my life they way I want to and to push myself towards my dreams. If she believed in me even through her pain how could I not believe in myself? So here I am. With my music. Writing music. Writing about music. This is my dream and whether you like me and my music or not I will not give up. Do I want you to like my music? Of course! I want the world to like it, although that is piratically impossible, I strive to create the best music I can.
Not only did my mom inspire me to pursue my dream in writing music but she inspired me to be better and to be me. In remembrance of my mother and her strength I began writing the piece “If Heaven Were To Know.” It started out as a single theory project with not more than twelve measures and turned into a five movement piece. Each movement tells a different part of the story as well as a different emotion. It has gone through several changes over the years including changing instruments, adding movement and even complete rewrites of some movements. I actually took a heavy pounding from my composition teacher for the title because she thought it left me too open to criticism and too vulnerable. After much thought and consideration I ended up keeping the title for it was meant to be. From then on I also endured the cringes she produced every time the piece’s title was mentioned.
The piece has a subtle theme to it and has a slight theatrical feel. The original idea was to add one instrument every piece. Starting with solo piano, the next movement adding viola, the next adding percussion and the last adding in guitar. However as the piece progressed I decided to add in a new movement and have it as guitar and piano. It ties all the pieces together piano being the first and guitar beings the last. Also the piano represents my mother in a way because she was actually a organ minor. Not to mention the keyboard I use to compose most of my music was her’s. The guitar is meant to represent me for obvious reasons.
Description
Although there’s already a short description on the program notes for my recital I’m going to expand on each piece more.
The first movement of “If Heaven Were To Know” is appropriately entitled “Prelude” for it is just that. It’s an introduction to the time before we had known of her cancer. It’s a relatively happy and/or upbeat piece with a little innocent melody popping up here and there. The piano and the guitar “converse” with each other while exchanging the melody and harmony with each other. The balance wasn’t the best in the recording I have but then again nothing is perfect. Daniel Bates, piano and Jon McCormmick, guitar did a wonderful job together.
(More to Come)