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Rededicated to the students of the West Orange High School Bands

One of the core values that I try to live by is seeing everyone as a gift from God, and caring for one another as if I would never see them again. And like many people, I could go to extremes, even sometimes sacrificing my happiness so that others could be happy instead. Some say that’s a foolish and destructive notion. But for me, it’s my way of filling a darkened world with love and joy. In May 2022 that philosophy came to life in the form of a beautifully warm melody, which revealed itself to me through a heartfelt poem that I had discovered, during a time when my life and the lives of those around me were rapidly changing.

When I first started writing this work, I was traveling with my family on a well-needed vacation. I did not have my composing software with me so I had to write down the theme on a piece of paper, along with the texts of the poem. And then I just kept writing, expanding the theme, and envisioning it along my journeys. By the time I did have access to my composing software, most of the music had found its place in the work. And what originally was meant to be only a four-minute work turned into ten. All the while the words from that poem kept ringing in my mind. But like all parts of life, that creative mind had its ups and downs.

In December 2022, I completed my first full-time teaching job as a leave replacement middle school band director for four months. It was an incredible experience. The students I taught and my colleagues, who I can call my friends, have made a tremendous impact on my life. This experience reinforced my love for music education. But I miss them dearly. They’ve practically become family, and because of my short time there, I felt like I was leaving too soon and I didn’t want to leave. I took a mental retreat from life so that I could do a much- needed reflection. I wasn’t my usual self, because there was this unique hole in my heart that needed to be filled, something I haven’t felt in a long while. It was a cry to belong and to live and love. This short time away from the world showed me not to take life for granted, to live life to the fullest, and to cherish each person that’s been put into my life for a purpose. It was a bittersweet Christmas season, filled with both happiness and sadness. But I think that’s just what I needed to finish this work.

Like all of my works, this piece has a special place in my heart. But this composition is especially personal because the music itself draws from that beloved poem that I discovered in May 2022. This poem and its texts, though, will never be revealed, and I alone will know the real message behind it. It is a love story, a hopefulness for everyone, to see life through heaven’s eyes and to bestow upon each other the ability to love from the beginning and be kind like no other.

Though sacrifices must be made, that ultimate reward is life at its brightest.