In my own hometown of Evanston, IL., we have sadly been experiencing a recent upswing in violence that has seen the lives of several junior-high and high-school-aged young people shot over the past year. As an educator who works primarily with elementary-through-high school-aged students in my private studio and in my ensembles, I have been trying to find a way to reach out, be inclusive irregardless of race or socio-economic status, and give back to those grieving those loved and lost.
In response to the events in Evanston and the horrible tragedy last month in Newtown, I composed two new pieces.
One, “What If?”, is a non-demoniational, non-religious and yet spiritual plea for peace and understanding that is SATB a cappella.
Another, “Never Again”, is SATB with piano accompaniment, and was written after Newtown’s tragedy.
I have decided to create a ‘peace choir’ in my own community that will learn, rehearse and eventually record and digitally distribute these pieces, along with others like them – the proceeds of which I will give 100% to charities in my hometown and in Newtown, CT., whose pain and strength in the face of horror inspired them.
I have uploaded full .pdf versions of both “What If?” and “Never Again” to the Library on this forum. While they are both new and have not as of yet been recorded by live performers, I have also uploaded a computer playback of the pieces for perusal as well.
If anyone else here would like to use the pieces with their own ensembles, I give them free reign to do so, in the hopes that they may perhaps bring some comfort to others who may be suffering losses of their own. I only ask that authorship be credited, and that if anyone use the pieces, they make me aware of it so that I could perhaps get a recording and the date of the performance for my own records. I can be reached at .
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