When I wrote Broken Glass Symphony, it carried decades of my life with it. For 32 years, my life has been directly intertwined with Jewish life and causes—even though I am a gentile. I spent years working to establish the Jewish library in Vilnius, and along the way I often found the weight overwhelming. I cried more than once.
I’m an incredibly sensitive person, and at times I had to step back and give myself breaks. That’s part of why I write lighter songs too—it’s how I balance the heaviness with moments of joy, humor, and peace.
It’s a strange thing to move from writing about Kristallnacht one day to writing about owls, roosters, and farm life the next. But that’s my way of holding both the horrors of the past and the beauty of the present. Both matter. Both belong.
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I agree with you, music has an amazing ability to balance emotional state. And it doesn't matter whether you listen to it or it's born within you.
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Chris Stefans, you are right. I only recognized my songwriting ability in April of this year. In that time, I have written more than 400 songs. Some make me think, some cry, and some laugh.