, © Fernando Caracena, 2024

We have an ancestry of musicians on my mother's side. My ,other was a keyboardist who played both piano and pipe organ. Her cousin, a violinist, was concert master at the University of Colorado before he became the director of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra. So Stephanie was born with a good dose of musical talent. She wanted to learn the piano while still in grammar school. We b\ought her a spinet and she took lessomsfro, a neighborhood piano teacher. Soon, the teacher told us that she gad taught Stephanie all she could and suggested we get our daughter a more advanced yracher. We bought Stephanie a seven foot Steinway grand piano. We got her a new teacher, suggested by her former one. Deborah Schmit-Lobis was her new teacher.

On graduating from high school,Stephanie was accepted by the University of Colorado as a music student majoring in piano. Later, She switched to a psychology major. She was deeply interested in the working of the mind and spirit and wanted to promote spirituality..

Because of her strong interest in playing the piano, a few links are included nelow to some of her favorite pieces.

Stephanie loved to play Chopin's Nocturne No. 1, which is a very sad piece of music that brings tears to people's eyes. However, she liked to play Scott Joplin to cheer herself up/.

Arrows of Longing

A poem by Stephanie Caracena (1970-2007)

Blue forever skies so vast I can see through the back of my head and up through the soles of my feet.

Inspired I write.

I feel as if everyone's my friend.

God, your spirit so majestic it fills all creation mystically!

I am your alchemical angel

by your grace and mercy I am safe in your vision for me

I feel you at work in my cells.

All of your being uniting to create a new body

Rainbow celestial light, I am yours!

I long to eat fruit with you

share the taste of this season

my life

My skin aglow, a radar

You whisper that I effervesce with radiance and joy

and like sunrise, I do.

So long, American western civilization collection

of modernized mantras on success and accomplishment!

All things are possible!

Still beautiful

bountiful peace

I weave a golden and righteous blanket with your word.

The power behind which is potent

The same force that built the Pyramids @ Giza,

the mosques in Morocco,

the City of Atlantis,