Peace of Mind
"I recently discovered that true peace of mind is less dependent on changing outside circumstances in your life than a choice you can make at each moment," says Kashiwa. "Choosing to find peace in the moment is something that’s always available and allows you dig deep inside yourself. When I started writing and recording this album, I was coming from that place, and the softer expression of the soprano was the voice that seemed most natural. As I’ve matured as a sax player, I’ve learned that I don’t have as much to prove, so I can just be myself. There’s more of an ease and effortlessness to the process since I learned to surrender and relax my ego. All I can do is be who I am. Having a hit single again could be a byproduct of that, but not the all consuming goal in creating my music."