Roots Torn, Routes Chosen
A story of Black Migration for wind ensemble and spoken word
Roots Torn, Roots Chosen is a powerful work for wind ensemble and spoken word that journeys through the vast history, endurance, and contributions of Black people across centuries through the lens of migration to the United States. Through an evocative blend of musical textures and spoken word, this piece sheds light on the experiences that have shaped generations, affirming the strength, resilience, and vibrant cultural legacy of the African diaspora. The unifying theme between each of the movements is a motive, essentially “spelling out” the word “Africa” (A, F, Eb, D/Db, C, A).
The first movement, “Echoes of Africa,” opens with an evocation of pre-colonial Africa—a place of kingdoms, culture, and communal life. Here, the ensemble paints scenes of vibrant life through distinct African drumming rhythms, lush harmonies and interwoven melodies, symbolizing the diversity and unity found across ancient African civilizations. The folk song “Che Che Kolay” comes after the scene is set—leading the way to a “vamp” of West-African rhythms, building to the celebratory chant in the horns, trombones, and tenor sax. This chant gives way as the spoken word shifts tone to the emergence of colonialism. The oboe restates the folk song in a minor mode over the drones of the lowest instruments in the ensemble.
With the striking tonal shift, the music transports us to the dark days of colonialism and the slave trade, the middle passage, and the era of slavery in “Cries of the Stolen”. The spoken word suddenly takes on the first person of a woman enduring these horrors. The first part begins with the Africa motif featuring tension-filled rhythms and dissonance underscore the unimaginable suffering and forced displacement, a harrowing journey that tore people from their homelands. The texture of the second section reflects a churning sea—eventually being haunted by the cries of those lost on the middle passage. The final section pays homage to spirituals as the language of the enslaved people and the layered cacophony reflects how many enslaved people spoke different languages. The movement ends with an allusion to the frequency of enslaved women losing their children at birth.
The ensemble then moves to the era of Jim Crow for “Shadows of Oppression”, representing a time when Black Americans faced segregation and systemic oppression despite the freedom granted with the Emancipation Proclamation. Stark contrasts in instrumentation and dynamics capture the restrictions, the fight for civil rights, and the unyielding courage of individuals who refused to yield to prejudice. This movement uses the spiritual “Nobody Knows de Trouble I’ve Seen” to convey the struggle of Black people and their reliance on the church for strength. A clarinet chorale of this signifies unity, however, this is soon overshadowed by minstrel tunes, emulating the prevalence of racist systems and the fight against them. The spoken word channels the frustrations of legislation and systems, such as sharecropping, made to prohibit Black Americans from attaining rights despite their freedom on paper.
The work then flows into a lighter, syncopated rhythm, opening with a “call” from the congas, symbolizing the wave of Caribbean migration to the United States in the 1950s. “New Waves and New Horizons” features a fusion of styles and rhythmic diversity illustrates the cultural exchange, energy, and richness these communities brought through using the national anthems from the home countries in a calypso style. The spoken word pays homage to these individuals’ journey, weaving the joys and challenges of building new lives in a foreign land, all while enriching the cultural fabric of their new homes. The tutti melody at the end reflects the fusion of these cultures into one, all culminating with the melody of “America the Beautiful” while reintroducing the motive.
The final movement, “Sounds of Resilience” celebrates the modern-day contributions and resilience of Black people. Vibrant motifs and melodic fragments in the ensemble represent triumph and achievement across fields, from the arts and sciences to social justice and community leadership. Quotes from each movement and the prevalence of the motif tie the work together. The middle section takes melodic fragments of the recurring section to form the basis of the major blues signifying the musical contributions of Black people—allowing players to demonstrate freedom and accomplishment through improvised solos. The spoken word channels the dreams, pride, and contributions of Black voices today, proclaiming their indispensable role in shaping society. The mixed modes at the end and ambiguity of the open fifths signal that in spite of all these advancements, there are still elements of systemic racism that overshadow everything.
Adoration, for brass quintet
Instrumentation: brass quintet (2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba)
Year Composed: 2022
Duration: 3’
Originally composed for organ by Florence B. Price
Premiered April 2022
Program Notes:
Adoration (1951) by Florence Price is a piece originally written for organ that I arranged for tuba-euphonium quartet, horn quartet, and brass quintet. This piece features a sweet melody reminiscent of truly adoring something and transports the listener to those fond memories. In the middle, there is a brief section with minor tonality that portrays the conflict that can sometimes occur in love, but the original melody returns as things will almost always resolve in the end.
Total Praise, for brass quintet
Instrumentation: brass quintet (2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba)
Year Composed: 2022
Originally composed for Gospel choir by Kirk Franklin
Premiered April 2022
Program Notes:
Total Praise is a Gospel standard composed by Richard Smallwood. This arrangement uses brass to match some of the magnificence of hearing a full choir and band perform the work.
Spiritual Medley No. 2, for tuba-euphonium quartet
Instrumentation: tuba euphonium quartet (euphonium 1-2, tuba 1-2)
Year Composed: 2020
Includes “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me,” “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” and “Steal Away”
Originally by “traditional”
Premiered August 2020 (virtual) by Black All-Star Tuba Euphonium Quartet. Premiered February 2022 (live) by Peabody Tuba-Euphonium Quartet.
Program Notes:
Spiritual Arrangement 2, written in summer 2020, incorporates three of my favorite spirituals: “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me,” “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” and “Steal Away.” Spirituals are songs created by African American slaves and passed down by rote. “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me” tells the story of the speaker crying out for the support of the Lord during difficult times. This arrangement opens up with a solo voice playing the melody over drones. As the melody continues, the accompaniment gets more active and supportive until all the voices end playing in octaves, symbolizing a level of camaraderie. “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” is about the sorrow in being away from your home—the way the African American slaves were taken from their motherlands and often brought away from family through the American slave trade. This arrangement utilizes dissonance to convey the turmoil and the weight of the sadness. It ends with the tuba-euphonium pairs repeating the line “a long way from home.” The first uses extreme octaves between both instruments to present the distance between the speaker and their home, and the second uses closer octaves, ending on a unison, to present that there is no hope for a return home and they must accept where they are. “Steal Away” has an entirely different character from the first two songs. This song presents a story of the speaker “stealing away” to Jesus. While the story sounds as if it is more positive, finding “Jesus” and “home” can be viewed as symbolizing death. This arrangement captures the seemingly lighter character by using a blues style, but it ends by slowing down and fading to silence.
Adoration, for tuba-euphonium quartet
Instrumentation: tuba euphonium quartet (euphonium 1-2, tuba 1-2)
Year Composed: 2020
Duration: 3’
Originally composed for organ by Florence B. Price
Premiered May 2020 (virtual) by self multi-track video. Premiered October 2020 (live) by Arizona State Graduate Tuba-Euph Quartet.
Program Notes:
Adoration (1951) by Florence Price is a piece originally written for organ that I arranged for tuba-euphonium quartet, horn quartet, and brass quintet. This piece features a sweet melody reminiscent of truly adoring something and transports the listener to those fond memories. In the middle, there is a brief section with minor tonality that portrays the conflict that can sometimes occur in love, but the original melody returns as things will almost always resolve in the end.
In the Bottoms Suite, for tuba-euphonium octet
Instrumentation: tuba euphonium octet (euphonium 1-4, tuba 1-4)
Year Composed: 2020
Duration: 13’30”
Movements:
I. Prelude: Night
II. His Song
IV. Barcarolle: Morning
V. Dance: Juba
Originally composed for piano by R. Nathaniel Dett
Premiered June-August 2020 (virtual) by the COVID-19 Black All Star Ensemble. Premiered April 2021 (live) by Appalachian State Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble.
Program Notes:
When I heard this piece, I was fascinated by its orchestrational potential. The nearly complete suite transferred to tuba-euphonium ensemble quite well, given the versatility and range ability of the ensemble. In addition to Dett’s own program notes, I would like to highlight the following: The second movement utilizes some liberties in arranging rather than transcribing. The fourth movement is essentially a virtuosic solo-euphonium feature. At this time, I do not have an existing arrangement of movement 3 (Honey) but can arrange it if there is demand.
Lift Every Voice and Sing, for tuba-euphonium octet
Instrumentation: tuba euphonium octet (euphonium 1-4, tuba 1-4)
Year Composed: 2020
Duration: 3’
Premiered September 2020 (virtual) by the COVID-19 Black All-Star Ensemble
Program Notes:
Lift Every Voice and Sing is considered the American Black National Anthem. It was originally composed by J. Rosamond Johnson and the lyrics written by James Weldon Johnson. This arrangement was written as the finale for my COVID-19 Black All-Star Ensemble project during the summer of 2020 (June-October). In its virtual premiere, it featured over 25 Black tuba and euphonium players around the US. The arrangement includes elements of fanfare to set up the anthem and features different sections of the ensemble.
In the Bottoms: Introduction and Juba Dance, for wind band
Instrumentation: wind band
Year Composed: 2022
Originally composed for piano by R. Nathaniel Dett. Arrangement commissioned by the Black Composer Revival Consortium
Premiered December 2022
Program Notes:
In the Bottoms was written originally for piano by Robert Nathaniel Dett in 1913. This five-movement suite is meant to depict “negro life in the river bottoms.” For this arrangement, I took the introduction from the first and second movements of the piece, “Prelude (Night)” and “His Song.” The “Juba Dance'' is the last movement of the piece.
According to Wikipedia, the juba dance is an “African-American style of dance that involves stomping as well as slapping and patting the arms, legs, chest, and cheeks.” Typically, the dancers would form a circle to keep the rhythm and a solo dancer could get in the middle. Percussion instruments were often not allowed to be used by the slaves for fear of secret communication, so body percussion took their place. In the piece, the ostinato accompaniment line would be the equivalent of the rhythmic stomping and patting or clapping that would have taken place in a juba dance circle, while the melody would be sung or played on a fiddle.
Spirituals of H.T. Burleigh, for orchestra
Instrumentation: orchestra (2.1.2.2.1/2.2.3.1/perc/hp/str)
Year Composed: 2019
Originally composed for voice and piano by Harry T. Burleigh.
Program Notes:
This arrangement is a suite of orchestrations of Harry T. Burleigh’s versions of “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Chil’,” “Deep River,” and “Ain’t Goin’ to Study War No Mo’” (also known as “Down by the Riverside”). While the first two are transcriptions, the third song incorporates elements of New Orleans Jazz in my own variation/arrangement before returning to Burleigh’s.
Precious Lord, for orchestra
Instrumentation: orchestra (2.2.2.1/1.0.0.1/timp/hp/str)
Year Composed: 2020
Duration: 3’15”
Originally composed for choir by Thomas Dorsey.
Program Notes:
Precious Lord, Take My Hand was originally written by Thomas Dorsey. The lyrics were written in his despair after his wife and newborn child died during childbirth. It communicates the need of having God when things go wrong.
This arrangement for a modified symphony orchestra relies on the harp and flute for much of its character. It features the french horn, tuba, and bassoon. There are elements emulating the hammond organ improvising and accompanying a sermon or prayer session in traditional Black churches.
In the Bottoms: Introduction and Juba Dance, for orchestra
Instrumentation: orchestra
Year Composed: 2022
Originally composed for piano by R. Nathaniel Dett. Arrangement commissioned by the Black Composer Revival Consortium
Premiered October 2022
Program Notes:
In the Bottoms was written originally for piano by Robert Nathaniel Dett in 1913. This five-movement suite is meant to depict “negro life in the river bottoms.” For this arrangement, I took the introduction from the first and second movements of the piece, “Prelude (Night)” and “His Song.” The “Juba Dance'' is the last movement of the piece.
According to Wikipedia, the juba dance is an “African-American style of dance that involves stomping as well as slapping and patting the arms, legs, chest, and cheeks.” Typically, the dancers would form a circle to keep the rhythm and a solo dancer could get in the middle. Percussion instruments were often not allowed to be used by the slaves for fear of secret communication, so body percussion took their place. In the piece, the ostinato accompaniment line would be the equivalent of the rhythmic stomping and patting or clapping that would have taken place in a juba dance circle, while the melody would be sung or played on a fiddle.
Midnight Escape, for trumpet sextet
Instrumentation: trumpet sextet
Year Composed: 2023
Duration: 4’14”
Available on Palisade Trumpet Collective album, Sojourn (released March 15, 2024) - Mark Records
Program Notes:
Commissioned by the Palisade Trumpet Collective, the piece Midnight Escape was composed in February 2023. In the piece, elements of fanfare and fugue combine to follow a character’s escape. It opens with a call, like alarm bells, signaling the beginning of the journey. Then, the rhythmic accompaniment simulates the steadiness of running. In the middle, the energy slows, symbolizing the character’s inner turmoil as tiredness sets in. However, the character regains the energy to power through and resume running until they reach safety.
In Daddy’s Shoes, for chamber duo
Instrumentation: soprano saxophone and tuba or tuba and euphonium
Year Composed: 2021
Premiered April 2021 by Jazzie Pigott and Kaylee Bernard
Program Notes:
My father, Gregson H. Pigott, has been my musical role model from an early age. Growing up, I watched him excell as a church musician playing sax, flute, clarinet, piano, and singing his heart out. Out of the many instruments he does play, I have specifically admired the rich tone he gets on the soprano sax, his usual instrument of choice. Now, I want to clarify that my father is not dead, rather, I wrote this for my Master’s recital to signify the impact he had on me in my path. I followed in his footsteps until I was strong enough to go on my own, demonstrated by the echoing melodies throughout. Included in the middle of the piece is a quote from one of the pieces my dad wrote and recorded back in his earlier days.
I adapted this work for tuba and euphonium in 2023 to perform it with my husband, Andre Thacker, in our Dre-Z Duo. Both versions are available for purchase.
Quarantine(r) March, for brass quintet
Instrumentation: brass quintet (2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba)
Year Composed: 2021
Duration: 2’46”
Premiered February 2022 by the Charm Brass Quintet
Program Notes:
Quarantine(r) March is a march I wrote at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. The title gives a nod to the popular march “Florentiner March” by Julius Fucik. Originally written for a full wind band, this work explores the different moods that most people experienced surrounding the beginning of the pandemic. It conveys the early joy when things were first canceled, the boredom experienced after a few weeks in isolation, the frustration felt after realizing it was nowhere near over, and the inner-turmoil of trying to balance all of these emotions. When I adapted the work for brass quintet, I placed the final piccolo solo in the tuba part to allude to my community band’s longstanding tradition of having the tuba section play the piccolo solo in John Philip Sousa’s the Stars and Stripes Forever.
Against All Odds, for brass ensemble
Instrumentation: brass ensemble (3 trumpets, 4 horns, 2 trombones, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba)
Year Composed: 2021
Duration: 2’45”
Premiered April 2021 (virtual) by the Chromatic Brass Collective. Premiered May 2022 (live) by the Chromatic Brass Collective
Program Notes:
Against All Odds is a brass ensemble work, originally written for the Chromatic Brass Collective (a group I co-founded for womxn of color brass players). The long story short of the title is that I was told by a professor that this was “not a fanfare” because it doesn’t utilize traditional fanfare elements all around. I continued to write it and present it as a fanfare regardless. This experience seemed an example of being undermined by the systems stacked against those with marginalized identities. Despite being met with disapproval, I continued and succeeded in writing this piece. Against all odds, we are here. This work was premiered in CBC’s inaugural live performance at the 2022 International Women’s Brass Conference.
Quarantine(r) March, for wind band
Instrumentation: wind band
piccolo, flute, Eb clarinet, Bb clarinet 1-3, bass clarinet, alto saxophone 1-2, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, horn 1-3, trumpet 1-3, trombone 1-3, euphonium, tuba, percussion 1-3
Year Composed: 2020
Duration: 2’46”
Program Notes:
Quarantine(r) March is a march I wrote at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. The title gives a nod to the popular march “Florentiner March” by Julius Fucik. Originally written for a full wind band, this work explores the different moods that most people experienced surrounding the beginning of the pandemic. It conveys the early joy when things were first canceled, the boredom experienced after a few weeks in isolation, the frustration felt after realizing it was nowhere near over, and the inner-turmoil of trying to balance all of these emotions.
Camouflage, for wind ensemble
Instrumentation: wind ensemble
piccolo, flute 1-2, oboe 1-2, english horn, bassoon 1-2, contrabassoon, Eb clarinet, Bb clarinet 1-3, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, horn 1-4, trumpet 1-3, trombone 1-3, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba, double bass, harp, piano, timpani, percussion 1-4
Year Composed: 2020
Duration: 4’30”
Program Notes:
In Spring 2020, I was given a task for my final orchestration project to compose or arrange a work for wind band. After attempting to arrange something, assuming it was the easier task, I went on to compose an entirely new work. The work Camouflage is based on Herbie Hancock’s jazz fusion song “Chameleon.” The introduction clearly states the famous bass line of the song before going into thematic and motivic development throughout the rest of the piece. Each motive is derived in some way from the song, including to slow middle section, in essence “camouflaging” the source material to form an entirely new piece. While at times the themes and motives from “Chameleon” can be clearly heard, much of them are more subtle.
The Imposters, for solo tuba
Instrumentation: solo tuba
Year Composed: 2021
Duration: 10’30”
Movements:
I. The Soloist
II. The Expert
III. The Perfectionist
IV. The Natural Genius
V. The Superhero
Premiered in April 2021
Program Notes:
The Imposters for solo tuba was composed in 2021, inspired by my feelings of imposter syndrome brought on by my sudden visibility during the pandemic. Each movement is inspired by a different one of the five types of imposter syndrome. Typically affecting those with marginalized identities at higher rates, imposter syndrome is feeling as if you are an “imposter” in a space you earned your way into, despite being qualified. In the fear of people realizing that they are an imposter, they invoke the following behaviors to prevent this from happening.
1. The Soloist is the person who tries to do everything on their own believing that asking for help shows weakness.
2. The Expert is the person who needs to know everything, constantly learning to be the expert on an entire subject. They fear that if they don’t know something, they will be “exposed.”
3. The Perfectionist is self-explanatory. This is the person who feels like they need to do everything perfectly or it’s a failure. Any mistake that others catch could mean that they don’t belong. However, the pursuit of perfection is not possible and typically leads to burnout.
4. The Natural Genius is the person who thinks that their talent is due to natural ability rather than practice and hard work. That means that any negative reviews or criticism are a sign of personal flaw rather than a mistake.
5. The Superhero is the person who does everything they can at the highest level they can, frequently carrying too many burdens and stretching themselves too thin.
Gateways, for solo tuba and spoken word
Instrumentation: solo tuba and spoken word
Year Composed: 2022
Premiered in June 2022 at the International Women’s Brass Conference
Program Notes:
The first work in my Visions Series of autobiographical pieces for tuba and spoken word, Gateways, describes the difficulties those with marginalized identities face when trying to succeed in the field by trying to get past gatekeepers. While it may seem that the path is straightforward for everyone, systemic issues lead to disadvantages for those outside of the majority. After trying so hard to play the game and failing, the character is burned out and decides to team up with others rejected by the system to form their own “gates.”
Due to the autobiographical nature of this work, it is not available for purchase. If you are interested in commissioning a similar work, please reach out to me.
Foundations, for solo tuba and spoken word
Instrumentation: solo tuba and spoken word
Year Composed: 2023
Premiered in June 2023 at the International Women’s Brass Conference
Program Notes:
Foundations is about those who came before me to lay the groundwork for where I am today. Reflecting through my lineage as a granddaughter of Haitian and Antiguan immigrants, I honor the sacrifices and hardships they endured to allow me to have the life I have today. “My house wasn’t built in a day,” and while it seems as if things are easy, that is rooted in hundreds of years of decisions.
Due to the autobiographical nature of this work, it is not available for purchase. If you are interested in commissioning a similar work, please reach out to me.