My daughter Rachael spent a significant portion of her toddlerdom reaching for the keys of our piano. In first grade, she begged us to let her take piano lessons, and she hasn’t stopped playing since. In fourth grade, Rachael composed her first piece, a heartfelt tribute to her gym teacher, Mr. Morton, who died suddenly of a heart attack in the middle of the school year. “Mr. Morton Is Watching Us” was, admittedly, derivative of Bette Midler’s “From a Distance,” but it proved to be a creative springboard.

Rachael is now all grown up, and her compositions are now wholly original. She recently entered a composition to create a soundtrack for a movie, The Storm Within, and was named one of the five finalists. The winner will be determined by popular vote, so I am encouraging you to follow this link http://www.thestormwithinllc.com/finalists-for-composer-competition.html - listen to her piece, and vote for Rachael!