TAHLEQUAH

Tahlequah is the nickname given to southern resident killer whale J35, an orca who frequents the Salish sea (in northern Washington and British Columbia). Tahlequah gained international attention when, following the death of their 30-minute old calf, they carried its body for 17 days in an apparent grief tour. Tahlequah’s pain is Humanity’s fault, and it is our responsibility to rebalance the Earth.

This piece was commissioned by the Onomatopoeia Trio, consisting of Cassie Lear, flutes; Soren Hamm saxophones; and Rebecca Olason, French horn. They will premiere this work in May 2020 in the Chapel at the Good Shepherd Center (Seattle, WA).

THE FIFTH SUN

This work for solo marimba arose out of my growing interest in ritual and continued efforts to decolonize my identity and uncover my indigenous roots.

The Naáyarite are an indigenous group from modern-day Western Central Mexico. Similar to other indigenous peoples’ origins, they speak of a series of suns, which each represent different universes that have been created and destroyed, to then be replaced by another. This is inevitable; however, we aren’t powerless— if we maintain a proper balance with the Earth we can subvert the destruction of the universe. We are currently in the fifth sun and it is our responsibility to prevent the destruction of our world.