Throughout my life I've connected with people all over the world through the simple experience of sharing songs. I have been deeply moved by singing with farmers around a campfire in Mongolia, sharing a meal and music with friends in China and singing spirituals in a rural Italian village. I've also shared music from the opera stage and in the intimate jazz club. For many years, my musical life has been segmented into these different areas and I have traveled between extreme musical worlds; savoring the authentic connection and joy of learning about people and the world through folk songs, as well as aspiring to reach my highest potentials as an artist on the concert stage.

As I pondered ways to integrate my musical worlds, a friend introduced me to bassist Dave Morgan and encouraged us to explore our musical interests. Beyond Boundaries is born from our bi-weekly forays into diverse corners of the musical universe. A steaming cup of tea always at arm's length, and lots of breaks for conversation about the connective nature of art, Dave and I found our way into the essence of these songs. Rather than feeling limited by the stark instrumentation of bass and voice, we found new freedom to explore any music that reached out to us, regardless of genre or style.

The thread that runs through the album is simply that these are songs that Dave and I love. They are songs that get to the very heart of the human experience; "the joy held with the pain" and the universal need to create out of both the light and darkness of our lives. As Dave and I set out to make this recording, we decided to ask some friends to join us and bring their unique voice and flavor to some of the pieces. I invite you to go with us beyond the boundaries of genre, style, language, region, and expectation, into the connective heart of music.