Dear Friends,
For today, August 25th, Wendell and I honor and commemorate the life of Michael Gilmor (1995-2018), who passed away on this day last year. I wrote Golden Summer (Michael & Briana's Song) last year upon hearing of his death. https://youtu.be/lVe1yeWKQv8
Michael was a Fulbright friend and colleague in Poland in 2017-18, and one of the most extraordinarily kind, generous, and brilliant people I have ever met. He died suddenly, and tragically upon his return to the U.S., just shy of his 23rd birthday.
I had always said that I would never compose music - that it just wasn't in me - that I was a player (a re-creator of others' music). But, I was so grieved by his passing, that this piece rose out of me, helped me with my grief, and has now touched others. I credit Michael for inspiring this new path for me, and I am eternally grateful for his continued generosity.
Golden Summer was my attempt to honor and immortalize the love that he shared with Briana (also a Poland Fulbrighter, 2017-18), and it has become the third movement of my piece called Three Scenes from Poland. We are pairing it with Wendell's Backlit Grove (acrylic on canvas 48 x 48, 2016 - inspired by living in Poland for the summer of 2016 wendellmyers.com).
May you find peace in this.
Pam
pamelahowland.com