Notes from the Composer [[Concert Programs/Ticket to Ride, December 9, 2025/Randall Standridge|Randall Standridge]]: We are beings of energy. Electrical bursts run through our nervous systems and animate us into the beings we are, not unlike the creature in Mary Shelley's classic novel Frankenstein. Sometimes, that energy is used in positive ways, motivating us into acts of humor, acts of joy, and acts of benevolence. However ... Under that lighter pulse, there exists a darker current. This is the energy of aggression, destruction, and malevolence. To become a whole person, one must accept both sides of our nature and learn to channel all of our energy, both light and dark, into the actions that we want to put into the world. As a person who deals with depression and anxiety, I have had to learn to channel my own inner currents-both the chaotic and the calm-into something constructive, something expressive, something that allows me to reclaim control. For me, that outlet is music. Music gives us a space to release energy in all its forms-whether it be the unbridled force of aggression, the quiet solace of reflection, or the uncontainable spark of joy. In this piece, performers and listeners alike are invited to embrace that raw, electric intensity, to transform darkness into motion, and to harness the full power of our emotions into something meaningful. Because, in the end, energy is neither good nor bad-it is what we choose to do with it that defines who we are. Peace Love and Music - Randy Standy