MUSIC

This album is dedicated to my mother, my family, and my loved ones.

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The butterfly became a quiet symbol for this music. As I sat alone in a park one afternoon in East Village, Manhattan, an orange and black butterfly landed on my leg. Its wings—restless just moments before—came to a stillness. In the brief moment it rested, I was amazed by its beauty. It represented transformation, rebirth, and the gentle presence of loved ones that I have lost.

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I began writing and assembling this album in July 2025, reflecting on my life experiences in the past two years of my life and how deeply they have shaped me. The music emerged from a period of self-reflection filled with grief, sorrow, frustration, and emotions that often felt impossible to name. Over time, I experienced moments of healing—slowly but surely. This album is the culmination of those experiences.

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I am deeply grateful to the musicians who helped bring this music to life. The album features my amazing peers and mentors, including the great saxophonist and composer Billy Drewes, with whom I had the privilege of studying and playing with this past year, and who is featured on one track. The rhythm section includes guitarist Erika Toda, bassist Aidan Taylor, and drummer Connor Sturge. The horn section features Adithya Vaidhyan on tenor saxophone, Joe McCann on alto saxophone, and Caleb Pitman on trumpet. The album was beautifully recorded by Tyler McDiarmid and mixed and mastered by Alon Benjamini.

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This music is offered with love, remembrance, and hope.