Commissioned by National Concerts for premiere at Carnegie Hall, June 15, 2019, Tesfa Wondemagegnehu, conductor

"One Step" is about embracing the messy path to success and the idea that not every movement is a step in the upward direction. Many young people have a fear of failure, and this piece reinforces the importance of the journey in reaching their goals, even through setbacks and disappointments.

Throughout our lives we examine the paths we have chosen and re-evaluate whether those paths are the right ones for us to take. It can be discouraging when we look ahead and see our goals very far away. Other times we feel that we are working incredibly hard but not seeing the results we’d like. We imagine our path to success being a straight line ~ diagonal, always ascending. But the truth is that the path to success is much messier than we’d like to believe, and that it is normal for us to falter on our journey to our goals.

One Step is about embracing that messy journey and being OK with the idea that not every movement is a step in the upward direction. But it’s a step nonetheless, and often times a step back or down is exactly what we need to learn something new or gain a new perspective. The important thing is that we keep moving, and we keep trying.

What is the meaning of success? What does it mean to me?
How do I get there?
Do I have reason to be scared?

No. Never give up. No. Never give in.

One step
Take another step
Take a step down
Take a step back
Turn around, look around
Take a step up

Spreading out, standing proud, Stepping up, singing loud! One step
Step up!

~ Jocelyn Hagen