I've lived in Las Vegas most of my life now, for over 24 years. I am a Jazz musician and educator. I've played in most of the casinos on the strip, including at Mandalay Bay. I was shocked by this tragedy and as an artist (composer) wanted to contribute something to the memorial. After the tragedy, I wrote two compositions, Americana, the excerpt of which is attached below, and Enough Is Enough.
In Americana, I wanted to write a tune dedicated to the victims of this tragedy. I wanted to create a Jazz composition influenced by Country and Americana music, as most of the victims were Country music fans. I created a beautiful ballad, which I performed with my Jazz Quartet the Shapiro Project at the Henderson ArtFest in May, right after the tragedy. The tune was well received and I thought submitting it here would honor the lives of the people who died on that day.
