The basic requirement was it had to be a song that told a story and after several attempts to write a song that I could get into unsuccessfully, I finally found the right idea. The first was a confrontation. Then a desert-type dance. But I wrote them without heart.
This song was a song about a character (me) walking along through a crowd and wondering what having a friend would be like. Then as the character is speaking, she becomes aware that another voice is there with her. She continues walking and talking until she is sure of what is happening.
And that thing that is happening is a friendship being born. The two turn to each other and acknowledge it, laughing and teasing as if they've known each other all along. The music changes and becomes alive, each person building off of the other.
They begin to settle into this relationship and it changes from a dance into something deeper. The pace slows and they begin to understand what has really happened. That they have been changed forever.
The crowd comes back into it, but over top the noise, you can still sense the music of the friendship. And it closes with the acknowledgement that no matter how distant these two become, they will always be an echo in each others' hearts.
This song has special meaning to me. And I can tell when people are listening to it if they have had a friendship like it before. Those who have become distant-eyed with a sad smile on their face. My guess is it is for them as it is for me... This friendship has a hold on my heart, so that I feel slightly empty whenever we are apart. That's the look they have anyway. And the people who haven't had that type of friendship look inspired and hopeful as they listen. Bright eyed and curious.
Another part that made it special is that in the music there was a main flute part and Carol was willing to play it for this song. I also asked if she wouldn't mind saying some of the texts, so that I didn't have to only work with my voice. The recording session itself was a good memory, but since it was Carol and I's audio, the song became so much more real. While I was arranging and composing stuff, every time I heard us laughing or trading off or teasing each other, I was reminded of the emotions that I needed in order to write this piece.
And now when I'm feeling that slight emptiness from her absence then I can listen and hear her voice and it helps soothe that.
