Life For Mars

Programme Notes

I’ve had the opportunity to see Vancouver pianist and composer Vlada Mars perform several times here in Toronto. Each time, I marvel at her ability to convey the simple beauty of life through the sound of the piano. As Vlada and I became friends, the idea emerged of me composing something for her. The sound of her music, along with a beautiful poem I saw posted on her Facebook wall (see below), inspired this composition.

The title Life For Mars is a tribute to Vlada’s love of David Bowie’s music, but it is not a remake or adaptation of Bowie’s song Life on Mars. How wonderful it would be if we could all just float away into space—and with Vlada’s music, we can!

– Frank Horvat

To run away from our own thoughts and emotions is like trying to run away from our own shadow
So let them be
Relax in them
Laugh at them
And if you can do that
It’s called self liberating your thoughts and emotions
Self liberation means liberating on its own
So therefore, there is nothing to do
Just to relax
Just to be happy
Just to be lazy
There is nothing to meditate
Let us celebrate
And that celebration is the dedication.
– Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, in “Pointing out the Dharmakaya”, La Petite Pierre, France, 2008, transcribed by Dylan Vaughn