There is Music

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Instrumentation: SSA chorus + cajon + piano
Duration: 4’30”
Poet: Anonymous

SEE THE SCORE HERE

about the piece:

To me, the piece is about standing at the edge of change—whether that be a new adventure, a difficult decision, or an uncertain future. While those moments can bring doubt and fear, they can also offer freedom. The text invites us to release the need for certainty and instead embrace curiosity, wonder, and the beauty of the present moment.

Musically, the piece is inspired by contemporary styles and musicians like Jensen McRae, Lizzy McAlpine, and Ryan Beatty. Throughout, I tried to evoke a sense of abandon and radical joy with uplifting melodies and driving instrumental parts. 

Instrumentalists are encouraged to adapt and improvise within their parts. The accompaniment is intended to be flexible and collaborative—and, as a composer who is primarily a vocalist, I trust their instincts.

There is Music was commissioned by Monica Bertrand and Giving Voices Collective for their 2026 project, a benefit concert in support of breast cancer research.

text:

At first light, when the sky is undecided
and the world is still learning its name,
I step into morning with nothing to carry
but breath and a small, steady flame.

No map in my hand, no promise of answers,
no need to outrun what may be
the wind writes its plans through the leaves of the trees,
and something in me agrees.

There’s music in footsteps that wander without
a reason they need to defend,
there’s grace in the breath that you take without thinking,
then choose, for a moment, to tend.

I’ve stood on the edge of a day nearly wasted,
watched hours dissolve into gray,
but now I am reckless with noticing
gold in the most ordinary way

What if this is it
not a prelude or practice,
not something to edit or save?
What if the now is the loudest confession
this brilliant life ever gave?

Then let me be here
not half in a memory,
not reaching ahead to be sure,
but wide in the wonder of everything passing,
and somehow, because of that, pure.