I was moved by the title of one of Kimberly’s poems, Complete.  What a powerful statement to call someone “complete”.   Pulling from a few other poems, I began crafting a song that a mother would sing to her daughter.  The concept began as a ballad with a strong ending, one you might hear Jennifer Hudson or Whitney Houston singing.  But the rhythm that suited the song best was 3/4 time (a lullaby), which is difficult to turn into a big, powerful ballad.  Lullabies tend to simply drift along with warm melodies and lyrics.  Sometimes a rhythm dictates the direction, and Complete was moving in a direction Kimberly, Joe and I loved.  I thought that the main instrument should be a harpsichord, but Joe preferred the finger-picking I had played on my acoustic when introducing the song to him.  The lyrics flowed freely and the chorus as if it was divine intervention.  I am still baffled at where the words came from.  Not from me I can assure you. 

 

Joe and I agreed that Robyn Springer would be our singer.  We knew she’d bring another level to this wonderful piece.  Then we invited friend Quentin Bethea to orchestrate and record the string section.

 

Complete is one of my proudest achievements.  With Joe and Quentin producing the track and Robyn on vocals,  it’s my all-time favorite.