NOTE: An MP3 file, using Kontakt sounds, is available online at this site for listening.

The loss of a student or former student is a difficult experience for any teacher. Those of us who teach tend to develop close bonds with our charges, and losing one of them can be almost like losing a child of our own. Further, we strive to pass on the torch for the next generation to carry, and when one of them is forced to quit the race early, we feel the loss acutely.

Such were my sentiments upon the death of one of my former students at the tragically young age of thirteen years, following an extended illness. I was deeply touched and most honored that her family asked me to select a piece and perform it at her memorial service. "Jennifer’s Song" was at once my way of working through the pain of my loss, providing something that portrayed my view of her as the unique individual that she was, and giving comfort to her friends and loved ones.

Like love, sadness and empathy can be powerful motivators. I wrote "Jennifer’s Song" within about a two-hour interim, during a single evening.