Only Moments to Live
by Emma O’Halloran
Temple University Wind Symphony
Patricia Cornett, conductor
Matthew Levy, saxophone
Only Moments to Live will be available for streaming and download on all major platforms on March 13, 2026.
The title “Only Moments to Live” was inspired by a passage from Jon Kabat-Zinn’s groundbreaking book “Full Catastrophe Living”:
“Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I’d have more of them. In fact, I’d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day.”
-Nadine Stair, eighty-five years old, Louisville, Kentucky
Over the past few years, it’s become increasingly important to me to slow down and cultivate presence in this fast-paced world. By integrating mindfulness practices into my daily life, I’m learning how to manage pain and anxiety, and to be fully present to good moments as well as the bad, and my life feels richer for it. This is what this piece is about.
The music is sort of dance between the soloist and the band. The soloist plays gestures that are picked and expanded on by different instruments, and then there are improvisational sections where the soloist listens to the group and responds. It requires everyone being fully present in the moment and every performance of this piece will be a little bit different. I hope you enjoy the moment!
