Story Behind The Song

Inspiration is a funny item. You can't demand visits from it. Rather, it is a guest who visits you at will (usually when you least expect it) and stays only for as long as it pleases. If the timing is agreeable, you may be able to preserve something once in a while from your visits by inspiration. And so it was with this tune, "Faith". One day a few of years ago, I was waiting for a piano student to arrive and I began letting my fingers wander on the piano. The result was the "intro/interlude/outro" and the "A" sections of this piece. After about half an hour, I received a phone call that my student was stuck in traffic and would not be able to make the lesson. It had later occurred to me that had my student not been delayed, these ideas of mine would never have come to pass. So the title of the tune is appropriate: We should all equip ourselves with a little faith because we never know what will lead to what. A few weeks later I added a "B" section and the piece was complete. To illustrate the idea of the unknown, many of the chords are suspended (or unresolved), particularly in the "intro/interlude/outro". This section is also in 9/4 time with some odd accents which make soloing over it a challenge. And while the rest of the piece is generally upbeat (in D major), this section is a little more serious (in B minor) to further underscore the idea of life's challenges -- but with a little faith, we will overcome. . .