“i carry your heart” occupies a really special place in my life. I wrote this piece on a quiet Friday night when I was 20 years old, and had no idea what I was doing as a composer. To be honest, I had only ever tried writing choral music once before, and it was as you would expect, perfectly terrible.

In the case of this piece, I really believe the poetry pulled out the best in me, and therein the composition. My college choir director, Dr. Lee Nelson was so supportive in reading the piece with our choir, and ultimately programming it as a part of our touring repertoire. It was a tremendously kind thing to do, and he doubled down on the work when he included it in his choral series, and as a part of the 2014 Iowa All-State Chorus.

I was able to attend that concert, as well as rehearsals with the All-State Chorus, which was a life changing experience. Not many people can say they stood before an All-State Chorus in their early twenties, and I’m lucky to have had that experience.