"Ms. Clavel" by Katherine Paterson

"We're running fast on streets with cracks in 'em."

How do you grow older gracefully? Can you preserve a bit of childhood as adulthood looms? Can you ever run with childlike abandon as an adult? Does progress always come at a cost?

In "Ms. Clavel," the thoughtful waltz from her new album, Wake, singer-songwriter Katherine Paterson poses these questions and more through the lens of a friendly childhood figure. Using literary allusions to Madeline, a scalar piano line that skips like water over stones, and the repetition of a familiar line--"That's all there is; there isn't anymore"--Katherine evokes the passing of time with a melodic simplicity that would make Joni Mitchell proud.

In this episode, Emmeline and Katherine chat about growing older, holding space for sadness, how one marks the passing of time, and the challenge of painting portraits of the people we become when we're not looking (to borrow a phrase from Elaine Castillo). They also talk about their mutual love for Sondheim and the healing power of music.

For more information about Katherine Paterson, or to follow her musical journey, visit her official website. You can also pre-save Wake on Spotify. 

For behind-the-scenes info and more about Journey of a Song, follow @EmmelineMusic on social media or visit the Journey of Series official webpage. You can hear songs from previous episodes through the Journey of a Song Official Spotify Playlist.