Program Notes

2. Hold Sacred

The goal of "Hold Sacred" is to soothe. To hold something sacred to us is soothing; to remember it is soothing.

I mean to hold sacredness literally. Make "hold" a verb. Hold sacred, as you would a baby chick, a tiny plant, a memory, or someone’s hand.The gentleness comes from the desire to protect this dear object, to stay in this comfort for a while...

With the task of meditating on the concept of "sacredness," for WindSync's "Sacred and Profane" program, I had to ask what was sacred to me personally. The answer, during the COVID-19 pandemic, is "touch and feel" things. Repotting plants. Kneading bread dough. Giving a hug, when possible. Fewer think-y things. These sensations keep me going mentally. They heal anxiety, like a magical antidote, some special serotonin, while the memory of who and what I cannot physically hold is difficult.

We may only create a few moments of soothing sounds together, and then... we will go right back to the way things are. But maybe just for a moment, we can hold this feeling in our hands.

"Hold Sacred" features a blend of abstracted raga-inspired fragments that swirl through unusual harmonies and (hopefully) invite a meditation on whatever is most soothing to the listener.