Some Afternoon

Some Afternoon began one day not too long ago.

During my corporate years, while working from my home office and juggling the usual projects, meetings, and interruptions, 

I looked out the window and asked myself a simple question:

"What could I listen to right now that would lower my stress level?"

I imagined a piece whose rhythm gently swayed, whose harmonies invited the ear to linger, and whose melody allowed you to breathe along with the music.

Between calls, I reached for my guitar and played the opening phrase of Some Afternoon.

I was intrigued by the idea of moving from the I chord to a ii/I chord. While that progression appears in pop music, it's also found in the opening measures of Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C Major from The Well-Tempered Clavier.

As I listened for where the piece wanted to go, I found myself blurring the boundary between major and minor, allowing the melody to wander naturally through both.

I had the feeling that the melody and harmony for Some Afternoon already existed somewhere. My job wasn't to invent them. My job was simply to find them.

The bridge begins with the familiar ii–V progression before traveling through several different harmonic landscapes on its way back home. Although Some Afternoon explores a variety of harmonies, it never actually changes keys.

Looking out the window on some afternoon, you may see bright sunshine. You might notice a lone cardinal flying low across the yard or a squirrel racing along the fence line. Perhaps a dark cloud passes overhead—but only for a moment.

Some Afternoon is the music I want to hear—and the music I want to play—when it's time for stress to evaporate and be replaced by peace, wholeness, and a quiet sense of satisfaction.

I hope it does the same for you.