On the work: DC Emancipation is important to me because it shines a light on my birthplace and home of Washington, DC. The work also highlights notable Black figures in Georgetown , who have been for the most part overlooked, but many of whom played an important role in securing the city’s early emancipation.

 It also is exhortation to play an active part in our city— to vote, and not just in National elections.

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On what he wants to accomplish with his music: I want my music to speak truth and shine a light on  this important chapter of our nation’s history, through the melodies, the chords, and harmonies.

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On Mount Zion Church: I want to tell about the role of this special community, with its roots going back two hundred and fifty years to the birth of our nation and its official breakaway from the ‘Mother Church, ’then Montgomery Street Methodist, now Dumbarton UMC. Both churches continue to serve in the heart of Georgetown.

 

On the characters in our story: I am particularly interested in Martha Parrot, and, while she is not a real person, the character plays homage to music directors of Moun Zion Church from the late 1800’s, including Ralph J. Parrot and also represents the several women who ran the music program in the church. All of this is in the records of this church. Another outstanding character was Alfred Pope, who, once manumitted, was quit the successful entrepreneur in Georgetown and sold a parcel of land so that the  church could  be built. Alfred became a trustee of the church. We not only have his signed deed for the land, but early photos of members of his family.

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On other parts of his association with our company that contributed to his development as a composer: I was part of the inaugural year of the DC Composer Librettist Studio in 2022. I think most all I learned how to ”play nicely in the sandbox,” as you would put it, and to be open to more music styles in the collaborative art form of music-theatre. Technically, I learned the value of scansion to communicate clearly and to honor a librettist’s intentions

And catching up our followers on other current work: I have been a collaborative pianist in Brazil for the Brazilian International Opera Company, and composition teacher. I have a composing residency at GMU which is a lot of fun. And I started a chamber ensemble orchestra with a concert coming up in April. We artists need to follow a model New Music-Theatre has developed of working through partnerships to create meaningful, sustainable work. Personally, I want to create more ‘common man’ stories, giving voice to everyday people. And the struggle is real, now more than ever.

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