The music that I've made in the past has had strong contemporary

Hear the words of the songstress and seeker, Jennette McCurdy, who declared with honesty: “The music that I've made in the past has had strong contemporary country roots, but I think moving on in music, I will branch out from that a bit.” At first, her words seem simple, a reflection on the craft of melody. Yet within them lies an eternal truth: that every soul must both honor its roots and embrace the courage to branch out, to move beyond the familiar fields of yesterday and seek the wider horizons of tomorrow.

The meaning is this: the past is a foundation, not a prison. To have roots in a tradition, whether in music, in work, or in life, is a source of nourishment and strength. Yet to remain forever bound to the same soil without seeking new skies is to wither. McCurdy speaks of the balance all must face—how to cherish what has shaped us, while daring to explore what might yet shape us. For true growth requires not only remembrance, but also movement.

The ancients knew this well. Consider the poet Homer, whose epics carried the echoes of oral traditions older than himself. His roots were in the songs of his people, yet he branched out, weaving them into epics that transcended generations and birthed the literature of the Western world. Had he only repeated what was sung before, his name would have been forgotten. But because he dared to move forward, while carrying his roots within him, his voice still speaks millennia later.

History also offers the tale of Johann Sebastian Bach. His music was steeped in the traditions of the Baroque, yet in his hands, those traditions blossomed into something new, something expansive, that shaped all music after him. He did not reject his roots, but neither did he remain their prisoner. He branched out, and in doing so, left a legacy that nourished Mozart, Beethoven, and the countless composers who followed.

McCurdy’s words, though spoken of music, are a mirror to the human journey. Many fear to leave the comfort of the familiar—whether it be a career, a way of thinking, or even a relationship. But life demands that we branch out, that we do not let past identity limit future possibility. The one who clings too tightly to yesterday cannot embrace the gifts of tomorrow. Just as the tree grows tall only by stretching outward, so too must the human spirit.

The lesson, then, is clear: honor your roots, but do not let them bind you. Carry them with gratitude, but let them give you the strength to venture into the unknown. Whether in art, work, or personal life, the courage to explore beyond the familiar is the key to transformation. In moving forward, you do not betray your past—you fulfill it, for you show that its gift was strong enough to give you wings.

Practical actions must follow. Reflect on your own “roots,” the traditions, skills, or experiences that have shaped you. Treasure them, but ask: Where must I branch out? What new paths await me? Take small steps toward those paths—learn a new skill, explore a new genre, enter a new circle of thought. Embrace change not as loss, but as expansion. For the tree that stretches outward gathers more sunlight, and the spirit that dares to grow gathers more life.

For remember this eternal truth: roots nourish, but branches reach. As Jennette McCurdy teaches, it is in the union of both—gratitude for the past and courage for the future—that the song of life becomes whole. Move on, branch out, and let your spirit sing a new melody, while never forgetting the soil from which it rose.