During the last year of my Masters degree at USC in 2021, my flute teacher, Jim Walker, encouraged me to program a recital exploring all of the flute doubles. Since we were in pandemic quarantine, I wasn’t able to collaborate with my colleagues on campus and was otherwise limited on repertoire options. I took it as an opportunity to program a recital of challenging solo flute repertoire, switching between C Flute, Piccolo, Alto Flute, and Bass Flute. I remember asking my composition teacher, Veronika Krausas, for advice, as I wasn’t finding a solo alto flute piece that I felt expressed the emotions I was feeling at the time, and I remember her saying to me “then you should write it!”

The piece was originally intended as an homage to my family, but as I wrote, it ended up becoming an exploration of my experience of life at that time, which is one that can be relatable for many (if not all of us). An experience of life that isn’t always linear- one that can be filled with nostalgia and pain, anxiety and excitement, love and happiness— a life that is absolutely worth it, an experience that is very raw and human. I chose this cover photo because it is a sunflower from my mother's garden.

The piece is about 10 minutes long, and the title of each movement is as follows:

1. El baile del progreso (The dance of progress)

2. El amor que siempre se queda contigo (The love that is always with you)

3. La ansiedad de convertirse en uno mismo (The anxiety about becoming one’s self)

4. La fragilidad de las decisiones (The fragility of making decisions)

5. La aventura del crecimiento (The adventure of growing up)

6. Vivir en cada momento (To live in every moment)

When I first premiered it for my Masters recital, my family had flown from Miami to Los Angeles to listen to me perform in person. I performed and live streamed the recital at my former workplace, Santa Monica Conservatory of Music, since I was not able to use the USC campus facilities because of the pandemic regulations, they generously allowed me to use the stage there. The audience was about 10 people - my family that flew in and a few dear and close friends, all wearing masks and socially distanced in pandemic fashion.

One year later, in 2022, I submitted my piece for the Flutist Composer Workshop at NFA to work with Valerie Coleman-Page, Amanda Harberg, and Nicole Chamberlain whom are all amazing composers I’ve looked up to for a long time! To play my own piece for them and for them to respond with “you should pursue this” was extremely special for me. This event was the first time I shared my own composition with a live public audience of people I didn’t know, and to share this story. Valerie, Amanda and Nicole welcomed me with such open arms and gave me really encouraging feedback. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to do this as it got me reconnected with Valerie, who has always been a really huge influence and important mentor of mine. A year later, she asked me if she could publish my piece. Then a year after that - it is available now for the world and the rest is history!

Thank you for reading my story! I am really looking forward to sharing my music with the world.