97. Moonstone Music

3 months into this leg of the journey and 2025 is winding down. It snowed a little while ago and is raining now, putting me in a reflective mood. So, I'll begin with the origin of Moonstone Music and then move on for a brief look at my new ballet work in progress entitled The Fire and The Rose.

Moonstone Music was chosen as the name of our first YouTube account in 2010 and I am now using it as the collective title of all my music endeavors. The word Moonstone came from the names given to our two cats by the animal shelter before we adopted them and renamed them Molly (Moon) and Zoey (Stone). We have been down a lot of roads together including twice across the United States from coast to coast. We love each other very much, but don't tell the cats I said that because they will deny it.

I just finished the first draft of a new 3 movement, 13 minute ballet suite entitled The Fire and The Rose. (12 - 15 minutes seems to be the preferred limit when submitting new scores these days.) I am delighted to be working on something new. The title is from the final lines of a poem by T.S. Eliot which go as follows:

"And all manner of thing shall be well

When the tongues of flame are in-folded

Into the crowned knot of fire

and the fire and the rose are one."

I found the juxtaposition of the fire and the rose to be an inspiring and very compelling image.

I will aim for one more blog post before the end of the year. Until then, Cheers!