What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it. - Gabriel García Márquez

How do we remember those who raised us?

My grandmother, Martha Tsilivakos, lived with me, my parents, and my four siblings our whole lives. She was the engine of our family; she, along with my parents, taught us, fed us, helped us sleep, woke us up for school, took care of us when we were sick, and supported our every aspiration. She raised us. When she passed away in June 2014 it is needless to say that it shook our entire family to its core.

When remembering those who raised us it is easy to slip into a habit of mythologizing them after they pass. My grandmother was the most humble, pious, hardworking, well-read, and fiery woman I know. As a child, she seemed super-human! But as I grew older, I came to realize the depth of her humanity, and the acuteness of her vulnerability.

Before my grandmother raised us, she fell in love and married a member of the Greek military stationed in El Paso, TX. They had a daughter, my mother, and soon after her birth he had to return to Greece. Before my grandmother raised us, she raised her daughter alone, with only the help of her mother. Her husband went back to Greece, but he never returned. Devout, pious, and, I suspect, still in love, she never remarried. Instead, she directed all of her energy and love into the hearts of her daughter, and her grandchildren.

My grandmother can be remembered as a motherly, nurturing, and beautiful matriarch. She can also be remembered as a tragic romantic character. But, of course, she is both and much, much more. How do we remember those who raised us?

In programming this recital, I asked myself what pieces reminded me of her, and what pieces would I sing for her if she was still alive. Composed mostly of Spanish songs, the themes of the recital encompass lost love, our relationships with our mothers, memory, loss, promises, and, of course, romance. It's a recital to remember and honor her, and all of the complex and romantic individuals who raised us.

How do I remember my grandmother, Martha?

With songs.

I hope you will join us on June 9th.