Composer’s diary: Today I am practicing my new piece, Little Fantasy for Carrie, for solo piano. It has a repeated-note pulse in 6/8 that is my version of a Spanish dance: tum tiddy-um tum tum tum. This alternates with a slow ballad and a quicker, brighter dance. It’s not too hard and is fun to play. I’d like to compose a group of short piano pieces dedicated to different friends and relatives. Another one would be for my sister based on a pop song that she likes - I tried “Sunshine on my Shoulders” but although it’s a beautiful song, it’s hard to elaborate on. For Billy I want to try an Americana guitar-like piece.