Our minds remember the grand events–the life cycle events–births, deaths, wedding days, graduation days. But what about the magic that happens on a daily basis in life’s smaller moments? What about the events of our every day lives that are amazing, life-affirming, tender…but maybe not so memorable, simply because they were not ‘grand’? These are the moments that inspire me most to compose music. Something I know I will not remember down the road, can be cemented forever as a musical soundtrack, and help me appreciate those smaller moments.

These are: My cats chasing their tails. The woman who ran through the rain to stake her flowers to they wouldn’t fall over. A story I read in college about Sufi teachings. The caterpillar we watched emerge as a butterfly when I was seven years old. These moments would have been gone forever from my memory had I not given them musical soundtracks. Each song you hear on my recordings or in concert, were inspired by a small moment and now in my musical diary.

What do you do to keep track of moments you wish to remember?