Program Note
This is a piece about being our true authentic selves, with all our vulnerabilities, imperfections, and messy needs. So many of us are exhausted by performing capability, success, and happiness constantly, in person and online. It’s easy to worry that if we stop doing that, people won’t like the squishiness they see. I fall into these traps on a regular basis. But the entire reason I make art is to open myself up and share, and to receive and empathize with the experiences of my community. We weren’t meant to go through life walled off from one another. We can’t do it all alone. My wish is that we all can be more permeable, like the salamander and the sponge. I Want to Be Soft was commissioned by Denise Bird for her Art Songs for New Beginnings Project in 2022. I subsequently created this version for violin and piano.