October 2024

I see so much of myself in TV characters sometimes. I am:

• The introvert version of Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation

• A unique (and admittedly less caffeinated) combination of Lorelai and Rory from Gilmore Girls

• A more independent (and less whiny) version of David Rose from Schitt’s Creek

• The brunette version of Miranda Blake from The Mallorca Files (without the British accent)

Steve says I must be earning money from all the licensing deals—sometimes the similarities are uncanny. Like when Lorelai said, "Life's short. Talk fast." Or "I can be flexible, as long as everything is exactly the way I want it."

*hides under blanket*

I know that sometimes, change can be good.

It can bring a new perspective, a renewed sense of purpose, or a much-needed fresh start. Maybe it helps you overcome a fear or learn something new.

But even one small change can feel like being handed a decaf coffee when you were clearly expecting regular. It can change the whole trajectory of your day.

The truth is, the world is not always exactly the way we want it. Things are fast and slow and beautiful and broken all at the same time.

There's always more work to be done. This is what it means to be human; what we feel and experience as musicians. It’s what we practice, what we teach, what we share.

Maybe you, too, are feeling the stress of a full calendar & fall deadlines. Maybe you're experiencing joy & heartbreak simultaneously or caught somewhere in the messy middle. Maybe you're pivoting, adapting, learning, changing.

If so, here's something that may help:

1. Dmitri Shostakovich, Viola Sonata, Adagio (can you hear the inspiration?)

2. Robert Schumann, Nachtlied, Op. 96, No. 1 (which inspired this)

3. Cole Porter, Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye (the theme last week on Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin)

4. Hoagy Carmichael, Georgia on My Mind (Chad LB with Troy University Jazz Band) (our wedding song—celebrating 13 years this month 🥂)

5. Sergei Rachmaninoff, Vocalise (heard this on a concert last week and thought back to playing it with Steve in grad school)

 Wherever you find yourself today, here’s to handling change as it comes and navigating the busy days ahead with grace (and coffee. And pie. And fine, maybe a little more flexibility. 😉)