Super excited to announce my participation in the Boccaccio Project! I’ve composed a piece for my Flutronix partner, Nathalie Joachim entitled, Have and Hold. Watch video of the performance here. Read for more details about the project from The Library of Congress:

A Series of Musical Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic 

In the mid-14th century Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) wrote the Decameron, a collection of 100 stories shared between a group of 10 acquaintances who had removed themselves from society during the darkest period of a plague. This early artistic response to an outbreak provided context and a means of expression, and the parallels to the quarantine and social distancing phenomena we have been experiencing worldwide in these difficult past few months resonate with us.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we draw on Boccaccio’s example to offer some musical responses. We have asked 10 pairs of composers and performers to write and perform brief solo works to be premiered online over the course of 10 weekdays in June. 

About

Have and Hold reflects the desire to be near others during an extended period of social distancing and isolation. Personally, I have realized that being around people and experiencing life with them not only brings me great joy, but fuels my energy, creativity and spirit. This piece is truly dedicated to all of the people in my life who I miss dearly and long to be near again.

It was an honor to join violinist Randall Goosby, harpist Charles Overton and tenor George Shirley for a panel discussion on our experience as Black musicians working under the “classical” canon. Our talk concluded with powerful performances from each artist. Watch the performance of my piece “Hammers” with myself on flute and the wonderful, Sandbox Percussion.

New Music Box recently wrote an article about me and my upcoming commission for the Raleigh Civic Orchestra, funded by the New Music USA grant. I’m very excited for this project, as it is my first time writing for an orchestra! This piece explores the concept of the inter-generational transmission of trauma (i.e slavery, the holocaust, etc.), and will be a part of a larger program that explores similar experiences and histories, and demonstrates the power of music to respond and create collectivity in the face of adversity.

>Read the Article Here