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Prelude #1 in C Major
Prelude in C Major, BWV 846 - J.S. Bach (1722)
This prelude opens Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier, composed by Bach (1685–1750) in 1722 to demonstrate the expressive range possible within well-tempered tuning. The entire piece consists of gently arpeggiated chords - no melody in the conventional sense - yet the harmonic journey it traces is remarkably rich and moving. Charles Gounod later layered his famous Ave Maria melody over it, recognizing what performers and listeners have always felt: that this deceptively simple music achieves something profound through the most restrained means imaginable.
Make You Feel My Love, Bob Dylan
Make You Feel My Love - Bob Dylan (1997)
Bob Dylan (b. 1941), the Nobel Prize–winning songwriter, included this ballad on his 1997 album Time Out of Mind, a record born from a period of creative uncertainty and personal reflection. The song is unusually direct for Dylan - no surrealist imagery, no enigmatic characters, just a plain-spoken declaration of unconditional devotion. Its classic pop-ballad structure and achingly simple melody made it irresistible to other artists: Billy Joel, Garth Brooks, and especially Adele, whose 2008 cover introduced it to a new generation.
Friend of the Devil, Grateful Dead
Friend of the Devil - Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter & John Dawson / Grateful Dead (1970)
Jerry Garcia (1942–1995), lyricist Robert Hunter (1941–2019), and John Dawson (1945–2009) wrote this for the Grateful Dead’s 1970 album American Beauty, which marked the band’s turn from psychedelic experimentation toward acoustic, roots-oriented songwriting. It is an outlaw ballad - a narrator on the run from the law, his past, and a metaphorical devil who keeps close company. The rolling acoustic guitar and David Grisman’s mandolin give it a bright, restless bluegrass momentum. The song moves fast, but what it’s really about is the impossibility of outrunning yourself
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring - Johann Sebastian Bach (1723)
Bach (1685–1750) composed Cantata BWV 147, Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, for performance in Leipzig in 1723. The beloved chorale movement we know as “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” sets a melody originally written by Johann Schop over a flowing triplet accompaniment in the strings and oboes, with the choir entering in long, serene phrases above. It is a masterful example of counterpoint - independent melodic lines weaving together into something luminous and whole. Though written for Lutheran worship, the piece long ago outgrew its liturgical origins and has become a fixture at weddings, memorials, and concert stages around the world.
Good Riddance, Green Day
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Billie Joe Armstrong / Green Day (1997)
Billie Joe Armstrong (b. 1972) wrote this during a period of personal upheaval, and it appeared on Green Day’s 1997 album Nimrod - a surprising acoustic turn from a punk rock band. Producer Rob Cavallo added strings, softening it further. The title is bitter, but the song itself is more complicated than that: part nostalgia, part frustration, part hard-won acceptance. It quickly outgrew its punk origins and became a staple at graduations, weddings, and memorials - occasions where people need a song that acknowledges endings without pretending they are easy.
Theme to Legend of Zelda, Koji Condo
Life and Death, Michael Giacchino
From the tv series Lost
Awakening, Brian King
An original piece composed in 2024
Performed April 25, 2024
Poetry and Motion, Brian King
An original piece composed in 2025
Performed December 11, 2025
Imagine, John Lennon/Yoko Ono
Imagine - John Lennon & Yoko Ono (1971)
John Lennon (1940–1980) released “Imagine” in 1971, co-produced with Yoko Ono (b. 1933) and Phil Spector, during the height of the Vietnam War. The song proposes a world stripped of borders, possessions, and religious division - ideas drawn partly from Ono’s conceptual art and writing. Over spare, hymn-like piano chords in C major, Lennon’s vocals are calm and conversational, as though the radical vision he is describing was the most natural thing in the world. That tension between the enormity of the ideas and the gentleness of the delivery is what gives the song its lasting power as one of the most recognized peace anthems ever written
Make You Feel My Love, Bob Dylan
Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan
Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan (1965)
Dylan (b. 1941) released this on Highway 61 Revisited in 1965, and it detonated. At six minutes, it defied every convention of pop radio. Recorded with Mike Bloomfield on electric guitar and Al Kooper, who had never played organ before, spontaneously adding the iconic Hammond part, the track crackles with energy and confrontation. It arrived alongside Dylan’s infamous electric set at the Newport Folk Festival, a moment that split the folk world in two. The lyrics are biting, almost cruel, and are directed at someone who’s lost everything and must figure out who they are without it. It is widely regarded as one of the most important rock songs ever made
Prelude #1 in C Major, J.S. Bach
Let Me Die in My Footsteps, Bob Dylan
The Times They are a Changin', Bob Dylan
The Times They Are A‑Changin’ - Bob Dylan (1964)
Released in 1964 as the title track of Dylan’s third album, “The Times They Are A‑Changin’” became an anthem of the civil rights and anti‑war movements. Written during a period of intense social upheaval, the song reflects Dylan’s early role as a voice of protest and generational change. Its biblical cadence, prophetic tone, and direct address to political leaders, parents, and the broader public made it a rallying cry for activists seeking justice and reform. Historically, the song emerged at a moment when folk music was deeply intertwined with political activism. Dylan, influenced by Woody Guthrie and traditional balladry, crafted lyrics that captured the urgency of the era. The song’s release coincided with major events such as the March on Washington and the escalation of the Vietnam War, giving it immediate cultural relevance. Over time, it has been invoked in contexts ranging from political campaigns to social justice movements, underscoring its enduring resonance.
Knockin' on Heaven's Door, Bob Dylan
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door - Bob Dylan (1973)
Bob Dylan wrote “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” in 1973 for the soundtrack of the film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, directed by Sam Peckinpah. The song appears during a pivotal moment in the film, underscoring the death of a lawman—a scene that gives the song its emotional weight. Although originally tied to the movie, the song quickly transcended its cinematic origins, becoming one of Dylan’s most covered works. Artists such as Eric Clapton, Guns N’ Roses, and Warren Zevon have reinterpreted it, each bringing new stylistic dimensions to the piece.
Always On My Mind - Carson, James, & Christopher
Always on My Mind - Wayne Carson, Mark James & Johnny Christopher (1972)
Songwriters Wayne Carson (1943–2015), Mark James (1940–2024), and Johnny Christopher (b. 1943) wrote this ballad in 1972. Brenda Lee recorded it first, but Elvis Presley’s version that same year - made shortly after his separation from Priscilla - gave it real emotional gravity. Then Willie Nelson’s 1982 recording won multiple Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year, and cemented the song permanently in the American musical consciousness. It is a study in regret: a lover looking back, knowing he fell short, hoping it is not too late. The melody arches gently upward, almost pleading.
Redemption Song, Bob Marley
Redemption Song - Bob Marley (1980)
Bob Marley (1945–1981) recorded “Redemption Song” for his final studio album, Uprising, in 1980. It was a striking departure - no band, no reggae groove, just Marley alone with an acoustic guitar. He was battling the cancer that would kill him the following year, and the song carries that weight. Drawing on words attributed to Marcus Garvey - “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds” - Marley turned a personal reckoning into a universal call for spiritual and political liberation. It remains one of the most quietly powerful songs in popular music.
Friend of the Devil, Grateful Dead
Old Man, Neil Young
Old Man - Neil Young (1972)
Neil Young (b. 1945) wrote “Old Man” after purchasing his Broken Arrow Ranch in northern California and meeting the property’s elderly caretaker, Louis Avila. It appeared on Harvest (1972), the best-selling album of that year. The song draws a quiet parallel between a young man and an old one - different ages, same loneliness, same need for love. James Taylor plays banjo, and Linda Ronstadt sings harmony. Young’s syncopated acoustic guitar pattern gives the whole thing a gently loping feel, unhurried and reflective.
Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd
Wish You Were Here - Roger Waters & David Gilmour / Pink Floyd (1975)
Roger Waters (b. 1943) and David Gilmour (b. 1946) wrote this as the title track of Pink Floyd’s 1975 album, recorded at Abbey Road Studios. The song was inspired in part by founding member Syd Barrett (1946–2006), whose mental health deterioration had forced him out of the band years earlier, and in part by a broader disillusionment with the music industry. It opens with the iconic sound of a guitar being “tuned in” through a radio - a signal arriving from somewhere far away. The lyrics ask blunt, uncomfortable questions about authenticity, presence, and if any of them are real.
Good Riddance, Green Day
Comfortably Numb, Pink Floyd
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