Friday's Child 

I've always loved Classical Gas. It showed the world that a nylon-string guitar could carry a hit record, and I've admired it ever since.

When I began writing Friday's Child, I wasn't chasing a title or a mood. I was chasing a musical hook—something rhythmically and harmonically unexpected that would make listeners smile every time it returned.

Once I found that hook, I realized it would have even more impact if it followed a simple, singable melody. Throughout the piece, I keep coming back to those two ideas, almost like a classical rondeau, with familiar themes returning after each musical adventure.

Along the way, the music slips into a minor key before finding its way home again. The bridge draws inspiration from Jerry Reed's La Madrugada and the extraordinary music of Agustín Barrios Mangoré.

One of my favorite moments came from asking myself a simple composer's question: How many different chords could I create while keeping the open G string ringing in the middle, with the bass and melody moving in contrary motion? My answer turned out to be nine.

After one final return of the melody and the hook, the piece closes with an inverted version of that same hook before the final chord settles into place.

Why the title Friday's Child?

Many of us remember the old nursery rhyme that begins, "Monday's child is fair of face." My favorite line has always been, "Friday's child is loving and giving."

As it happens, my son, my daughter, and eventually my sweet granddaughter were all born on a Friday. As I worked on this piece, there was no other title it could have. 

I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I enjoyed creating it.