Authenticity

That word, authenticity, has been bouncing around in my mind lately and was definitely one of my goals in starting this blog. I’ve been wanting to write music for a new post, but honestly I’m in a creative dry spell right now. At times I can get so frustrated with myself when I’m struggling to compose, but I am learning that it is a natural part of the creative process and slowly being patient and ok with that fact. In the meantime, I’ve been trying to feed my creativity by spending time with the greatest creative genius of all: God. I recently saw some incredible images captured by the Hubble telescope of God’s artwork in space. They were mind-blowingly beautiful! Maybe that will be the inspiration for a future musical snapshot!

Sunlight

Today is a pretty good day. Period. No conditions. No “buts.” In the midst of a depression disorder, today is a pretty good day. The picture that comes to mind is from the second Hobbit movie. Bilbo and his dwarf companions are journeying through Mirkwood, a dark, foreboding forest. At one point, Bilbo climbs a tree to get his bearings. When he pokes his head through the canopy of upper branches, he breaks into the sunlight and fresh air. That’s what today is like. After a hard week, today I feel alive. Today is a pretty good day. This snippet is called Alive in the Sunlight.

A Father’s Love

“Papa”….. That word has been ringing in my ears and heart ever since my brother, Michael, dropped off his two boys to spend some time here at Grandma’s house yesterday. Owen and Henry really love their Papa. Henry will ask, “When is Papa going to get here?” Oh, and when he does arrive, they run into their Papa’s arms. Whenever I’m around Michael, I see the heart of a father who loves his boys so very much. Even when he is tired, worn out, hurting… he loves them. He makes sacrifices for them. It brings tears to my eyes as I write. Sometimes Henry will inadvertently call me “Papa” and every time it hits that deep desire in me to be a dad one day.  If I do, I want to be a Papa like Michael.

As I’ve been playing with some musical ideas and pondering these thoughts, it has got me thinking further…Owen and Henry love their Papa because he first loved them. Hmm… Sounds familiar… We love our Abba Father because He first loved us! Oh what a wonderful love He has for us! I can’t fully comprehend it, but I can see an inkling of it in Michael as he loves his boys so magnanimously in an intimate and personal way. How do I even begin to capture this musically? (time passes…) So this tune, originally inspired by “Papa,” is my love song to my Heavenly Father. It’s a simple melody that is based on and spells the word, ABBA.

Fearless

“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” Teach, create, and share music. That’s my passion. My dream. But not only is it my dream, it is my reality! I am so grateful to be able to do what I love!  This “fearless” quote is one of the things that inspired me to start this blog.

When I originally started writing for this post, I composed what I thought was a fantastic little melodic idea, but then realized it was a John Williams theme! Oops! 🙂 So it was back to the “drawing board,” but it was quite hard to get away from that John Williams theme! He’s a genius!

So this musical snapshot is about fearlessly pursuing your dreams and your passions. This is just a piano version, but I imagine it would be even better down the road with more instruments! Oh the possibilities! As one of my childhood musical heroes would say, “If this song don’t light your fire, your wood’s wet!”

Mourning

My initial thought was to start off on a celebratory note because I just was accepted into a one-year Bible/creative arts program starting this fall! I’m super pumped and looking forward to it! Musical thoughts surrounding that topic will probably come soon, but this is what has been on my mind and heart tonight. As I’ve scrolled down my Facebook feed recently, I have seen many pictures of people in hospital beds. A young man in a coma and paralyzed from a horrific car accident. A brand new father and mother with their newborn baby girl just hours before the mother tragically passed away. A girl dying of cancer with her mother snuggled up beside her in the hospital bed. My heart breaks for the people in the pictures and all those around them. Here’s a little melody I wrote for them. For those who are mourning, grieving, and hurting tonight…

A Creative Adventure

Recently, this has been a season of looking ahead, planning for the future, and getting excited about new beginnings! I’ve been wanting to get back into a creative groove again, but the blank page has been very daunting lately. So, I’m embarking on a little creative experiment and want to invite you along for the ride. My idea is to write small snippets of music to share with you that are inspired by life: whether that be a thought, an emotion, a picture, or an experience. I hope you enjoy as we explore life through music.