Program Notes
Written over the period of 7 hours on April 5th, 2026.
This is my attempt to write a purely melodic work built upon repetition of a simple 5 note motif. The title “I Know Now What the Heart Is” has been on a list I have kept for several years, in hopes the right piece would fit the meaning of those words. In general, I am a sentimental person but have yet to write any music I would consider sentimental. Usually, my music is less melodically direct, much more intensely emotional, and tends to drift around the motif material and yet this work is essentially the opposite. While there is no specific story to the piece, the moment in time of which it was written is one where I think we can all use more attentiveness of the heart; kindness, compassion, and resolve. Composing this piece also comes on the heels of a long hiatus from composing where I felt defeated and wondered if I had the energy to say anything more as a writer. It’s my belief that this work helped me work through that time and now I enter a space with more resolve and optimism than before.
Note by the composer,
Brooke Pierson