Program Notes

Near the end of Brevard Music Center’s 2025 Composition Institute, I found myself with all my projects completed and wondered, “What next?” There was a local bookstore I often visited with friends, and one day, a copy of The Little Book of Pride by Stella Caldwell caught my eye on a display shelf. In it were quotes from various queer pioneers. It sparked an idea. Devondre Jaquish, Yunlin Yang, Jess Forgione, and I began to brainstorm a collaboration on a song cycle: each of us would set a few quotes to music, and we would find a way to get the cycle performed by friends before the festival ended.

By some miracle, it came together. Our friend Joshua Rhodes, a bassist who had been asking us to write something for him since the beginning of the festival, provided the perfect opportunity to bring it all to life. Additionally, my friend, Staley Clark, who had performed an art song of mine earlier in the festival, agreed to sing. Finally, our friend Hazel Musto kindly agreed to play the piano part. I composed three movements, each setting a quote from LGBTQ+ pioneers that particularly resonated with me.

The project was an incredibly rewarding experience. It was a chance to collaborate closely with friends, both composers and performers, while creating an artwork that recognized the difficulties with which queer individuals have struggled and continue to struggle.