Crossroads Where I Stand

Programme Notes

Have you ever found yourself wondering what might have been if you had taken a different path or made a different choice in life? It’s a strange and unsettling feeling, standing at those crossroads where you can go either way, not knowing what each direction holds. The hardest part, though, is living in the past—lost in what ifs, wishing instead of living in the present. Still, I can’t help but empathize with that longing, that desire to change something and somehow make everything align perfectly. Wouldn’t life be flawless if we could just turn back time, change a few things, and keep all the good parts intact?

These feelings of uncertainty and regret, paired with the hope for something better, are what inspired me to compose this piece.

If you’re familiar with my other piano composition Diverging Crossroads, you might notice a similarity in the opening theme. In fact, you’d be right. Believe it or not, I subconsciously recycled an idea from myself. The two pieces were composed over two months apart, with many other works in between, yet somehow the same musical concept resurfaced. It’s strange, but I suppose these feelings of divergence, of paths taken and not taken, resonate with me more deeply than I realized.

– Frank Horvat

Katja Gillmore:

Did I ever wish I had taken another path? Whatever path I took in life, I faced challenges. How I decided to overcome them was the question. The choices I made, were influenced on where I came from and my surrounding environment. My inner child will always connect to the past with lessons learned, travelling through time, looking forward to making more decisions along the way.

Sometimes I would wonder if I had worked harder in school, my grades would have been better to get into university to study physiotherapy. Music, art and sports were easiest for me. Continuing to studying music was my therapy, that was what I needed at that time. I am happy and fortunate to have had the opportunity to study piano and further educate myself in University to become a music teacher. Music has coloured my world and the world has shaped my music. It’s a small world yet music is so diverse within each country across the world. How I made decisions in life shaped my paths, choosing to be happy regardless of where I am in the world, only I can make. Knowing now that the path I take that helps me continue to grow and enrich other lives in the world, makes me happiest. I think that if I had taken another path I would still be the same person just doing something different. Learning to make the best with what I have and being grateful helps me appreciate the diverging paths. Music has no boundaries, therefore lots of room to grow and enrich the world. I’m glad I chose this path.