Breath-songs & Lullabies Artistic Statement
For the past six years, I have been focused on developing my breath-based compositional framework, AfroPneumaism. AfroPneumaism is a liberatory creative practice in which I value rest, contemplation, and messiness over endurance, virtuosity, and precision. Through the simple instructions “Be silent and listen on the inhale; make sound on the exhale,” I invite musicians and audience members to follow their own paths through my music
Breath-songs & Lullabies is an AfroPneumatic tone poem celebrating the birth of my son, the softness of new life, the resilience of birthing parents, and the connection we all share through the simple act of breathing
This trio of two wind players and drums are a homage to the lungs and heart. With these forces, we will conjure up a wordless prayer for my son and all of us who find ourselves in this world today. But mostly, this will be a piece of joy and love. I am happy to be joined by James Brandon Lewis and Lesley Mok, two musicians who are soulful and empathic in their work I’ve admired them for years, and I can’t wait for our voices to meld together in this project We will treat the audience to an immersive evening in which we ask the audience to breathe with us and witness the unfolding of our sonic journey