It seems a lot of us have hidden gifts and talents, the existence of which we may not suspect, until something happens to jog our awareness. Until a few years ago the possibility of writing music never occurred to me. I was busy with the usual things – family, software engineering career, gardening. But one day I got jolted partially awake, and started composing. I play in a variety of alternate tunings, choosing among them to best fit the experience or feeling each piece is meant to convey. For me the purpose of playing music is to express things for which there are no words. I like to think this album succeeds in doing that. Alex DeGrassi, Pierre Bensusan, Pat Metheny and Don Ross have all been big influences; but my favorite musician has always been Gary Burton, master of the vibraphone. Once I was fortunate to get a lesson from Alex, which helped launch me in the right direction. Amazingly enough, Pierre came to my hometown a while back and I got to spend some time with him. He spoke mostly about the subtle aspects of playing – the importance of concentrating fully on the present moment, and really listening to what you are playing. Great advice, and my playing improved as a result. My heartfelt thanks to Magda, the original Nature Girl.