For me as a composer, the greatest music is found in nature, such as spending time outdoors in a natural enviroment like the Big Sypress Swamp of the Everglades. The sound of falling rain in the cypress forests, trickling off leaves of the densely covered ceiling of trees is a mesmerizing experience—when time seems to stand still to capture the moment.

The ocean is awe-inspiring, reminding me that there are things greater than our own daily life and world events. The spectacular displays of the aurora borealis in North Dakota remind me that there is One greater than all life concerns and creation… transcending time and space as we know it.

These are some remembrances that aesthetically contribute to the conceptualization of my creativity and musical aspirations. Diverse facets of nature are available to us all when we take the time to stop, listen, and observe.