'Aftermath'

I have been taking a break from children's books to write something new.  Just over a year and a half ago, I lost a friend to suicide.  Shortly after, I had snippets of new songs coming to me.  Now, I've never been musically inclined.  I have not played an instrument in over 20 years.  I have always been able to write rhymes but having melody accompanying it was something totally new.  Then, I remembered how much my friend had loved music.  And just like that, an entire song with melody came to my mind about the aftermath of suicide. 

I was not sure what to do with this....  I reached out to MN Musician Mary Bue  who does some creative coaching on the side.  I remember thinking, "This may be nothing.....but it may be something."  She encouraged me to keep writing and recording anything that came to mind.  She asked what I heard and when I sang it to her, she sat at her keyboard and immediately played the melody.  I got goosebumps!  Mary recorded a draft of the song for me and I shared it with a colleague and mentor who said, "She needs to record that professionally."  Mary agreed and asked what else I heard to which I replied violin and cello.  She wrote those accompanying pieces and the next thing I knew, we were all in a studio with producer Tom Herbers. 

The song titled 'Aftermath' will be released via a virtual concert on March 11 at 7pm CST.  You can enjoy an exclusive performance from the comfort of your own home.  My hope is that the song helps others feel less alone in the aftermath of suicide.

Pre-save the song on spotify by clicking here.