Nurture

Nurture: to help, to encourage, to further growth, to care for, to nourish. This piece was commissioned by Adam Collins, who asked me to write a marimba piece inspired by the concept of helping others. I feel that the most helpful thing we can do for others is to see them and love them just as they are. And, to truly understand the power and impact of this action, we must learn to do this for ourselves. Fred Rogers said it best: "You can't really love someone else unless you really love yourself first." Nurture was created during a period of time in which I felt a real sense of progress in my ongoing journey of self-love. I have prioritized nurturing myself as a person and as an artist. I am learning to love my own voice. I’m remembering what brought me happiness as a child, and I’m reconnecting with those parts of myself. This has helped me recenter and refocus so that I can offer more support to others, both human and non-human. My goal for this project was to create something that would feel good to play and peaceful to listen to. Something that would allow the performer to reconnect with the joy of making and sharing music. A prompt for self-reflection, and a reminder to nurture your own curiosity, happiness, and growth. One dollar from every purchase of this piece will be donated to Wildlife Haven Waterloo. Thank you for helping to support this important work.