In January 2020, Kenneth Thompkins of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra asked me to write a concerto for him as the principal trombonist of the orchestra. He suggested a piece about the Underground Railroad since Michigan was one of the last states for enslaved persons to reach before getting to freedom in Canada. The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. The piece is inspired by the many stories, accounts and experiences told by many enslaved people and abolitionists.
