composer's note: I have a complicated history with piano music. As a professional pianist myself, I've always wanted to be able to perform my own works and publish music for pianists... but my extensive knowledge of what I truly love to play on the piano has often gotten in the way of me writing piano music that satisfies my composer brain. In early 2020, I decided to tackle this issue head-on, and the result was this piece, which marries my melodic song instincts with my love of fluid, oceanic piano textures. "The Ocean Sings to the Shore" is about reaching out towards something unreachable, about creating legato melody that seems to spin out forever, from a percussive instrument that can feel incapable of such expression. It's about waves of emotion & feeling that transcend the piano rather than getting caught up in its quirks, limitations, and strengths.