Freedmen honors the legacy of Native Americans and former African slaves (adopted into Native American tribal membership through emancipation or marriage), who traversed the Trail of Tears. African-American descendants with Native American ancestry…
Portraits of Langston is a 6 movement 'tour de force' with optional narrator, and is based on the poems of Langston Hughes, his experiences in Paris and Harlem. For the best impact, it is recommended (but not necessary) to perform it with narrator,…
Ruby St. (street) Nola is a homage to the 'bon temps' of New Orleans nightlife. The work is colorful and should be performed with jazz/soulful articulations in mind.
Rubispheres is a series of chamber trios depicting urban life and landscapes in the world. The first three Rubispheres of the series features wind trio (flute, clarinet and bassoon) in a set of exciting hip,…
Juba for flute choir (2P, 6C, 2A, 1B, CB) gives homage to its namesake: a rhythmic dance found in the origins of both African-American and West African cultures. Premiered in 2014 by the National Flute Association High School Flute Choir under the…
A musical description of fire and its hunger. It begins as embers of coal and wood glowing with radiant danger-a soft sustained and ominous sound. Slowly, fuel is added to the potential of flame and slowly catches fire, one flicker at a time until it…
The title Fanmi Imèn is Haitian Creole for Maya Angelou’s famous work, Human Family. Both the musical and literary poems acknowledge differences within mankind, either due to ethnicity, background, or geography, but Angelou’s refrain: “we are more…
Amazonia is a dedication to what is considered to be the “lungs of the earth”,
and is a poem that describes its natural beauty that progressively becomes destroyed,
as the dark aspects of human nature intrude upon its vitality. The work begins at…
Valerie Coleman’s Danza de la Mariposa is a rhythmic, melodic tone poem, giving the listener a tour of South America. Inspired by the various species of butterflies inhabiting the continent, this work is full of rich color, with butterflies dancing…
