2 new songs--the poet chimes in!

I just finished 2 new songs with texts by Heid E.Erdrich

I heard her at a reading here and I found 2 songs spoke to me.  The composing came quickly --I sent her a Sibelius recording of the songs and the score--this is what she said about how I set of Le Main...


Amazingly beautiful and exactly the tone I mean in what I wrote.

How do you make musical abstraction sound like wind and water? 

What are the instruments involved?  

Oh, I do hope I can be there for the performance.

I asked If I could quote her--I mean Heid had never heard a note of any of my music.  I mentioned that a lot of my work concerns the 4 elements; earth, air, water, and fire.

Imagine hitting a home run with your poet first time out! Her reply.

Yes, of course, quote me! Of course you can set The Cure. 

Although I have hardly any understanding of music, I often dream music along with words, so the poems have a score of sorts. One even had an instrument speaking the text--it was a clarinet. I can still hear it. 

When Leslie Miller was helping me edit my first book she kept asking me to keep the elements balanced.  She would say: We've had enough creatures of the air and water, now we need some earth and fire." Or words to that effect. 

This is really a thrill Phil, thanks!

Good news--these works will be done in NY--stay tuned!!