Years ago I wrote a fantasy book with a very unlikely hero. After finishing many books about this young man and the world he carried on his shoulders, I made some attempts at writing music to go with it. That was back before I thought I could, or should, write music.

Recently, I have revisited this music. And I decided I was ready to renew it. To take what I had done a long time ago that worked and bring this archetype to life.

It is hard to take something old and make it new. The temptation to hold onto the dead weight of potentially good music notes and themes is powerful. It is hard because I wanted to make it all fit. I want to give credit to that old self. But as I tried to blend old with new, I realized that much of it had to go, or could not be preserved as it was. I had to have the courage to edit and to let go. Isn’t that what an unlikely hero has to do with their own life?

I think each of us is the “unlikely hero” in our own stories. Life asks us to take on challenges we didn’t choose on purpose. Life takes our carefully crafted plans for success and happiness and introduces unexpected villains and unwanted tragedy and sorrow. Without really ever wanting to, many of us have to step up, exercise courage and faith, and become the heroes of our own stories.