Keep Breathing (final)

Keep Breathing (2025) is a ‘hymn for life.’ Written during Suicide Awareness Month, the piece is dedicated to and written for anyone that has experienced the loss of a friend, relative, loved one, etc. to suicide. While I am fortunate enough to not experience a loss through suicide directly, this work comes from a place of solidarity and empathy for those who have, and will provide hope going forward.

The four note theme of F-C-Eb-D represents life itself. It is also the words ‘Ke-ep brea-thing.’ Even during vulnerable or difficult times, the theme endures and doesn't go away. The theme serves as a reminder that we can find something to keep us going in the face of hardship and symbolizes the humanity that exists inside each of us. 

The theme is the driving force at B, and shows that even in moments of pause, ‘life’ is still there, always moving on, even if the music isn’t.

The work is not only a memorial to those we have lost to the hands of suicide, but is a call to awareness and compassion. It asks the listener to not only reflect, but to hold on to hope, and give that hope to others when they cannot.