The American Blueprint
"By unintentional design, historical events and people have shaped music into a wailing, rhythmic, dirty and beautifully gut wrenching urban tapestry like no other. These pieces belong to a series that I call an “The American Blueprint”; pieces that have a backbone inspired by ancestry, fate, pride and struggle. Music that speaks of civil rights, the human experience and Southern Charm"
Hair, Cloth and Thread for Solo Flute (w/picc, Alto or Bass Flute or Contrabass Flute) and Percussion. Commissioned by Consortium led by the Aark Duo of Virginia Commonwealth University. Inspired by the most recent works of visual artist Sonya Clark. By featuring African-American hair as textile for weaving items such as Confederate flags, Clark introduces the notion that hairstyles such as cornrows, afros, braids and dreadlocks are indeed a legitimate art form, that can and should be displayed in art venues. These captivating (and sometimes controversial) works give recognition to African-American contributions to the nation’s complicated history of textile production from the cotton fields up through factories during the Great Migration.
Migrations for Two Violins (2015) - A two movement work that celebrates immigrants coming to the New World, commissioned by Duo Miolina . The first movement was written shortly after the death of Eric Garner and was created with the intent of voicing the outcry of New Yorkers, who stood up for the "Black Lives Matter" movement. The second movement features a 'homemade' spiritual by the composer called, "Cross that River" that is not only dedicated to the songs of slaves but also to songs of immigrants coming to the new world by way of Ellis Island. The third finds common ground between Jazz elements and Appalachian music.
Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes (2014) for Alto Flute (or C Flute), Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Piano
Native American and African cultures join to honor the legacy of the Freedmen, former African slaves adopted into tribal membership through emancipation or marriage. They were later cast out of the government’s National Registry of those tribes that would have entitled them to land and other benefits. Still, they fight for their rights even today. The history of what the early US colonial Government labeled as the “Five Civilized Tribes” (the Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek, Seminole and Choctaw nations) and their relationship with the Freedmen resonates within me as it is a true merging of cultures, sometimes clashing with aggression, but more than often melding into a soulful exchange.
Red Clay & Mississippi Delta (2008) for Wind Quintet
A musical portrait of my mother's family and the Mississippi delta region from which they hail, condensed into the traditional form of a Scherzo.
From juke joints & casino boats that line the river, to Uncle Bilbo’s moonshine and hot tamales, and the skin tone of kinfolk that looks like is it drawn directly from the Mississippi river’s red clay. The solo lines were written for the individuals of Imani Winds with the personalities of comparable family members in mind. The result (to me) is a unique take on what is considered American concert music, featuring wailing, “bluesy family drama” solo riffs that are accompanied (‘comped’) by the rest of the ensemble. The result is a unique and virtuoso wind quintet work that grooves in the dialect and charm of the South and has a brief moment of audience contribution. The clarinet solo of the beginning represents “Big Mama”, the matriarch of the family, ordering her wayward children (grown sons and daughters) into line. Red Clay is perhaps the quickest work I’ve ever written, inspired by an intensive afternoon rehearsal with Imani Winds with first reading two days later.
FUTURE ADDITIONS - These are concepts within the series that are either in progress or have yet to be created, pending collaboration and sponsorship.
Gwendolyn Brooks commission (title tba) is also a part of this series.Looking for co-commissioner to University of Chicago..
Songs of Ali a Song cycle for baritone in tribute to Muhammad Ali's life. (a new collaboration with Grammy nominated singer Sidney Outlaw. We are looking for venues/commissioning partners to premiere the work) the cycle will use Ali's interviews and thoughts as text.
Migrations for Two Violins (2015) - A two movement work that celebrates immigrants coming to the New World, commissioned by Duo Miolina . The first movement was written shortly after the death of Eric Garner and was created with the intent of voicing the outcry of New Yorkers, who stood up for the "Black Lives Matter" movement. The second movement features a 'homemade' spiritual by the composer called, "Cross that River" that is not only dedicated to the songs of slaves but also to songs of immigrants coming to the new world by way of Ellis Island. The third finds common ground between Jazz elements and Appalachian music.
Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes (2014) for Alto Flute (or C Flute), Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Piano
Native American and African cultures join to honor the legacy of the Freedmen, former African slaves adopted into tribal membership through emancipation or marriage. They were later cast out of the government’s National Registry of those tribes that would have entitled them to land and other benefits. Still, they fight for their rights even today. The history of what the early US colonial Government labeled as the “Five Civilized Tribes” (the Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek, Seminole and Choctaw nations) and their relationship with the Freedmen resonates within me as it is a true merging of cultures, sometimes clashing with aggression, but more than often melding into a soulful exchange.
Red Clay & Mississippi Delta (2008) for Wind Quintet
A musical portrait of my mother's family and the Mississippi delta region from which they hail, condensed into the traditional form of a Scherzo.
From juke joints & casino boats that line the river, to Uncle Bilbo’s moonshine and hot tamales, and the skin tone of kinfolk that looks like is it drawn directly from the Mississippi river’s red clay. The solo lines were written for the individuals of Imani Winds with the personalities of comparable family members in mind. The result (to me) is a unique take on what is considered American concert music, featuring wailing, “bluesy family drama” solo riffs that are accompanied (‘comped’) by the rest of the ensemble. The result is a unique and virtuoso wind quintet work that grooves in the dialect and charm of the South and has a brief moment of audience contribution. The clarinet solo of the beginning represents “Big Mama”, the matriarch of the family, ordering her wayward children (grown sons and daughters) into line. Red Clay is perhaps the quickest work I’ve ever written, inspired by an intensive afternoon rehearsal with Imani Winds with first reading two days later.
FUTURE ADDITIONS - These are concepts within the series that are either in progress or have yet to be created, pending collaboration and sponsorship.
Gwendolyn Brooks commission (title tba) is also a part of this series.Looking for co-commissioner to University of Chicago..
Songs of Ali a Song cycle for baritone in tribute to Muhammad Ali's life. (a new collaboration with Grammy nominated singer Sidney Outlaw. We are looking for venues/commissioning partners to premiere the work) the cycle will use Ali's interviews and thoughts as text.