Hope is the Thing is a deeply personal piece for me. I found the Emily Dickinson poem in early 2014 while searching for inspirational texts. After the first read, I knew I would like to set it to music someday. Later that summer I came across a composition contest that was looking for a piece about success/belief/hope. I started putting music to the text in late September. In October my mother was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer and she passed away a few days before Thanksgiving. Her passing affected me in ways I never expected. Music went from being the thing in which I could find solace, to the thing that reminded me of my mother's absence. I found myself unable to write my own music for quite some time. During the Lenten season of 2015, one of the Pastors at the church for which I work gave a sermon using this text. The sermon was particularly moving and I decided it was time to revisit the piece. The music was finished within 1 week. Just as my mother had done for me countless times, writing this piece gave me the hope and inspiration I needed to get through a difficult time in my life. I dedicate this work to my mother, Cynthia Marie Richards.