Nothing ever happens without a "because." We live because our ancestors lived and reproduced. We hear music because vibrating air stimulates the parts of our bodies capable of turning sound into signals our brains can understand. That air vibrated because someone used their body (aided optionally by specialized tools) to set the air into rhythmic motion. And the waves of air dancing into your ears currently, dance the way they do because I was fortunate enough to meet Iesha Renee Spence Oyabunmi.

"She likes bright colors." As far as I can remember, this was the first definitive statement I ever said about Iesha Spence. It was a simple reflection on her fashion aesthetic; I remember her wearing vibrant oranges, yellows, greens, and blues. But after making that statement, as I got to know her better, I saw how the words "bright colors" could describe the sensory maximalism present everywhere in her personality and self-expression.

She loved listening to music blasting from her speakers at home. When she laughed, her whole body would quake, and the sound of her joy would infect you. When she spoke, her voice would rise and fall in volume and pitch, every bit as melodic and expressive as a singer. When she danced, her body moved with intoxicating fluidity. When she told stories, she captivated your attention, made you feel like you could spend days just listening to her speak. When she cooked, she used rich flavors authentic to her Jamaican heritage. When she loved you, you knew it. The depth of her passion, and her compassion, exceeds what can be described. She loved her family, her faith, her ancestors, and herself. While I continue to have life, I hope that I can be like her.

At time of this album's release, it has been several years since Iesha's spirit left her physical body behind. I still find it almost impossible to say "she died," because it just doesn't feel accurate.
The name Iesha means "life" or "she lives," depending on how you translate it. I can't imagine a truer name for the entity that Iesha is, and I hope that, after reading my description of her and listening to the music she inspired, you'll agree. This album exists because of Iesha, and it's just one of the many, many ways that her influence continues to live and thrive in this world.

...

This track, 'Bright Colors,' is my attempt to portray, through its maximalist aesthetic, the tenacious pursuit of life lesha practiced and inspires me to replicate. While writing this piece, I was thinking about things like Chick Corea's 'Humpty Dumpty' and 'Windows'–pieces with rich, colorful chord changes that could work for ballads, but with gracefully angular melodies that just dance at faster tempos. Those tunes make me feel like I'm “having my cake and eating it too" because they manage to be deeply expressive and beautiful while remaining showcases of acrobatic, action-packed virtuosity.

Nothing ever happens without a "because." We live because our ancestors lived and reproduced. We hear music because vibrating air stimulates the parts of our bodies capable of turning sound into signals our brains can understand. That air vibrated because someone used their body (aided optionally by specialized tools) to set the air into rhythmic motion. And the waves of air dancing into your ears currently, dance the way they do because I was fortunate enough to meet Iesha Renee Spence Oyabunmi.

"She likes bright colors." As far as I can remember, this was the first definitive statement I ever said about Iesha Spence. It was a simple reflection on her fashion aesthetic; I remember her wearing vibrant oranges, yellows, greens, and blues. But after making that statement, as I got to know her better, I saw how the words "bright colors" could describe the sensory maximalism present everywhere in her personality and self-expression.

She loved listening to music blasting from her speakers at home. When she laughed, her whole body would quake, and the sound of her joy would infect you. When she spoke, her voice would rise and fall in volume and pitch, every bit as melodic and expressive as a singer. When she danced, her body moved with intoxicating fluidity. When she told stories, she captivated your attention, made you feel like you could spend days just listening to her speak. When she cooked, she used rich flavors authentic to her Jamaican heritage. When she loved you, you knew it. The depth of her passion, and her compassion, exceeds what can be described. She loved her family, her faith, her ancestors, and herself. While I continue to have life, I hope that I can be like her.

At time of this album's release, it has been several years since Iesha's spirit left her physical body behind. I still find it almost impossible to say "she died," because it just doesn't feel accurate.
The name Iesha means "life" or "she lives," depending on how you translate it. I can't imagine a truer name for the entity that Iesha is, and I hope that, after reading my description of her and listening to the music she inspired, you'll agree. This album exists because of Iesha, and it's just one of the many, many ways that her influence continues to live and thrive in this world.

...

The story of 'Hyacinth Season' may feel like a thematic departure from the greater story this album tells, but it’s actually a very important inclusion. Life is a series of different stories filled with different emotions. And this album is, at the end of the day, dedicated to "Life."

'Hyacinth Season,' the youngest of the compositions featured on this album, was inspired by 'Discus' by playwright Becca Schlossberg. 'Discus' retells the Greek myth of Apollo and Hyacinth, and in so doing, poses the question: what does it mean to be mortal or immortal? I read 'Discus' prior to my first date with its author, and I was so touched by this devastatingly beautiful, queer play, that I decided to bring a hyacinth flower to said date. What I didn’t know at the time was how short “hyacinth season” really is. Had we met just a few weeks earlier or later, it would have been impossible to find a hyacinth in bloom.

If you are someone who believes in signs, and who believes that the departed ancestors can impact the events of this world, I think you could say it was a pretty good sign that I met Schlossberg while hyacinths were in bloom.