free the black birds (2019)
Duration: ca. 7’30”
Instrumentation
Full Orchestra
Program Notes
In memory of Isabella Proe. Inspired by her poem “No Past Should Be the Present,” free the black birds tells a story of the internal struggle between trying to move forward and healing from past trauma. Bella struggled with mental illness until her death, repeatedly fighting for her voice to be heard. This piece is meant to bring life to her words, for those who have struggled and those who are struggling.