Do you ever start projects or write songs that you know will never fully develop? Yeah, me too. That’s the thing about a creative idea; you can’t squeeze it and force it to do what you want. Sometimes you have to accept that you’ve done all you can, and let it go.
That’s what these works are. They are unpolished and past their peak, but I think they still deserve to exist in the world. So I put them here.
It’s scary to put such personal, messy creations out there for the world to see. It’s easier to misjudge something that isn’t put in its best light. But I’d rather share something purposely imperfect than hide all of these from the world. So, as frightening as it is, please enjoy my unfinished projects below. And if you’re brave enough, allow the world to see some of yours, too.
This was a whimsical idea I had one night as I was driving home from work. If hope could sing, what would she say? I thought long and hard about this before this song concept formed. Click here to read the full story and get the lyrics.
I wrote this song in March 2020 as we were all struggling with the effects COVID-19 was having on our world. For lyrics, video, and the full story behind this piece, please click here.
I wrote this piece the week after George Floyd was murdered, and sang it for a church service the following Sunday. I wrote a blogpost about my songwriting process with this one, which you can read here.
The timeless hymn, reimagined. I wrote this when I was going through a season of depression, needing to remind myself that He makes it well with my soul. I needed the gift of comfort. For lyrics, video, and the full story behind this piece, please click here.
This rehearsal was the one and only time this piece has been performed. It is my first serious work, and I learned so much from writing this my final semester in college. It was never performed for an audience since my senior recital was canceled, but you can read about this piece here.
“Caged Bird” from SHAKER, WHY DON’T YOU SING? by Maya Angelou, copyright © 1983 by Maya Angelou. Used by permission of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.