As we celebrate the release of our album, Mother: A Musical Tribute, we've found oursevles reflecting on our own mothers, to whom we dedicated the album. These inspiring women are forces of nature and nurturing, guidance and inspiration, patience and strength, and, of course, love: profound, fierce, unconditional. Words can't express our deep gratitude to these phenomenal women, but we'll still give it try with a couple of heartfelt anecdotes.
My mother—a woman of grace, originality, and playfulness; an exceptional artist, cook, and fashionista; and an eternal source of encouragement, inspiration, and love—has been unconditionally supportive of my creative endeavors from the start. She was the type of parent that let me draw Pollock-style with crayons on the stair wall when I was a toddler (it has since been covered!). On one particularly memorable occasion, she accompanied me to a piano competition in Milwaukee; each of us thought the other person had packed my dress in the car, but we discovered upon arriving that the dress was left at home! As time was of the essence—and I was dressed in jeans, which would have been inappropriate for the occasion—she drove all the way back to the Chicago suburbs (at a higher speed than usual!), retrieved the dress, and dashed back up to Milwaukee, arriving just in the nick of time for me to walk onstage and play. I ended up winning the competition, but I couldn't have done it without her saving the day. I shall forever dedicate that meaningful step in my early career (and many musical moments that preceded and followed) to my supermom. 💖 –Liz
My mom did whatever needed to be done — she spent HOURS every week driving me to rehearsals and lessons (piano and violin); she helpfully shouted "Relax your shoulders!" whenever passing by the practice room; she cheered me on at my concerts; and she fiercely defended me from the other parents who couldn't understand my *uniqueness.* But what was truly invaluable growing up was her pragmatism; she kept me grounded, which can be a daunting task for any artist! Somehow my mom found the perfect balance of support and circumspection, building my confidence with her encouragement while also kindling my inner strength in response to her cautionary practicality. In retrospect, she did everything right and I can’t thank her enough. –Greg
Whether your mothers are with you today or live on in your memories, we hope you all have a spectacular Mother's Day full of peace and motherly love.
