Love emBodies You – S. Renée Mitchell
On June 24, 2018, Resonance Ensemble's Poet in Residence, S. Renee Mitchell premiered this original work at BODIES, the third and final concert of our ninth season. The concert took place at Cerimon House, in Portland, OR.
“so no matter what was witnessed, whispered, shouted, or scribbled on your locker, lunch bag, note book or desk in that first period math class you hated so much
you do matter
your body was never invisible”
Photo Credit: Kenton Waltz
Love emBodies You
(c) 2018 S. Renee Mitchell
bodies bodies bodies
arms legs collarbone shoulder
each limb holds thousands of portals
opportunities really
that all long for the tender touch of another
toes lips fingertips honeyed eyes
all embody evidence - proof really
of whether touches over the whole of our lives
have transmitted tenderness
|or dull aches from that frightful pinch on the back of the arm
all transferences - of love or of pain - are possible
through the touch of another
how then do we begin to find our own rhythm
to express the individual and unique melodies
buried within each of our bodies
blood memories of a lifetime of public and private interactions
what then, pray tell, could adequately express
the stanzas of your siren’s song
unquestionably
your "you ness" is indisputable
just as surely as is the two-haired mole
underneath your upper arm
off centered - just north of your elbow
its unmistakable presence is there - as are you
so no matter
what was witnessed, whispered, shouted, or scribbled
on your locker, lunch bag, note book
or desk in that first period math class you hated so much
you do matter
your body was never invisible
think back, if you will
to the resonance of fresh oxygen
filling your lungs for the first time
how you reminded all within earshot
that you have arrived
your presence on this earth
is irrefutable
it is only when public choices
of whom to embrace
where to touch
when private preferences are witnessed or imagined
that erupts a wrong note
generates discord and public disgust
emboldens closed minds - and closeted hypocrites
who attempt to erase queer relevance
erect psychological walls of hate
manufacture heartbreak
like it was a red-light special
giving one permission
to procure hated with a 2-for-1 discounting
- no coupon required
you there over listening to my words
what key does that type of misery sing in?
where on your body do you carry the ache
seeded from the ongoing trauma
of America’s same-sex shame
yes I am talking to you
you who have swallowed your melody
and imprisoned it in the back of your throat
it is time to sing a new song
think pretty thoughts
feel stunning
wave your rainbow high
today
in these particular moments we are sharing together
we will celebrate through songs
quotes - poetic intention
the struggle for marriage equality
today we will honor the lives
of those imprisoned for pursuing their passion
those hung on lonely rural fences
or beaten on busy city streets
today - we see you
we see you, you and you
we see you, you and even you
today
we will celebrate
how living for pleasure
made Oscar Wilde
together - we will witness
the cadence of a
feisty - gender bending song of perfect propriety
together - we will relate to Hannah’s relief
after discovering a comforting word - a magic word -
in her local library
that reminded her – finally
she was not alone
not even when she was once he
the lyrics of songs will be bold
the diverse musical styles will be woven into a whole
but ultimately all asking
- how can we be a dream?
how can we sing a new song – individually and in unison?
how can our hopes fly over the rainbow?
today - this gathering holds space for healing
it is here
where you are loved unconditionally
it is here - together
where you are your own self
and you are welcomed - seen - celebrated - complete
no assembly required
arms neck legs shoulder
|each limb longs for the touch of another
toes lips fingertips honeyed eyes
all embody evidence
of how love has entered our bodies
so I ask you: who can sing your ballad but you?
look within to find your distinctive tempo
pluck words from lingering grief
unabashed gratitude and even shameless indulgence
craft your chorus with love
love that lifts and dwells and moves the stars
love open and strong
- authentic and ancient
love that is loud, flamboyant - and full of pride
so sorry - that it took - so long
Photo Credit: Kenton Waltz
ABOUT S. RENEE MITCHELL
S. Renee Mitchell, POET IN RESIDENCE, is a published author, curriculum designer, community activist and multi-media artist. She also is a sur\thriver who has found her life purpose since disentangling from bullying, sexual assault and domestic violence. After 25 years as an award-winning newspaper journalist - where she was nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize - Renee reinvented herself as a Creative Revolutionist; co-founded a culturally specific, drop-in DV resource center; and began gifting her talents to community as a poet, playwright, performer, speaker, teaching artist and self-taught graphic designer in order to create and contribute to empowering projects and programs, community healing ceremonies, plays, songs and books about healing from trauma. Motivated by intention and heart, Renee’s deepest desire is to help others use their creativity to let go, gather up and move on in order to find themselves, their voice, and their place in the world. You can find out more about Renee’s work at ReneeMitchellSpeaks.com.
Resonance artist, Christine Johnson, on Pride, the power of music, and finding allies through art.
Christine Johnson, Soprano
“The fight for equality looms large in my experience as an LGBTQ person...”
I met my partner of 12 years in Saint Louis, and she and I enjoyed many Pride events there and in Portland. In all that time, I never encountered a concert such as this - my amazing colleagues singing an entire program about the experiences of LGBTQ people! It was such an exciting idea for me that I knew I had to be a part of it somehow. After Resonance’s last concert ‘Souls’, I approached Kathy and told her so. I would have been happy just to be an usher at the concert, but she asked me to sing, even knowing that my partner is pregnant and due two days after this concert. I feel so grateful to be able to celebrate Pride in this way and it is a unique experience I will always treasure. I am so thrilled to give my energy to Resonance, especially this season’s exploration of social justice issues. This is important and powerful work that we musicians can do, especially in classical music. Resonance is leading the way.
This concert’s theme brought to mind a piece I performed with the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus a number of years ago - Melissa Dunphy’s What do you think I fought for at Omaha Beach? The simple text is powerful because of its plain English - yet it speaks to so many things that “make America a great nation” - service, sacrifice, freedom, equality. The music is so effective because it is matter of fact - until someone asks, “Do you believe in equality for gay and lesbian people?”
His answer distills everything, brings it into sharp focus - the basses anchor the sopranos singing a major third above: “What do you think I fought for at Omaha Beach?” That moment reminds me that we have allies everywhere, and it feels good - including one WW2 veteran, a “loyal, hard-working American….who did not raise four sons with the idea that our gay son would be left out”.
The fight for equality looms large in my experience as an LGBTQ person and I’m so glad I can sing this piece again.
BODIES performs one performance only on June 24th at 4PM at Cerimon House in NE Portland. Tickets are on sale now, HERE.
PRESS RELEASE - Resonance Ensemble Teams with Pride Northwest and Local Artists to present BODIES at Cerimon House
For immediate release: May 14, 2018
Email: info@resonancechoral.org
Tickets: resonancechoral.org
Media Contact— Liz Bacon Brownson
Phone: 971-212-8034
PORTLAND, OR — On Sunday, June 24th at 4 PM, join Resonance Ensemble for BODIES, as they celebrate gender identities, sexualities, and the LGBTQIA community’s work toward civil rights and understanding. This concert will be held at Cerimon House and in partnership with Pride Northwest and is an official Pride NW event.
Resonance Ensemble’s 2017-18 season is inspired by the events of this time of intense political and social upheaval, and aims to reflect the world we want to see: people coming together to gain new perspectives, and to be moved by our shared humanity. This inspiration merges beautifully with the mission of Pride Northwest - an organization dedicated to encouraging and supporting positive diversity, and educating all people by developing activities that showcase the history, accomplishments and talents of the LGBTQIA community.
BODIES features compositions and performances by LGBTQIA artists, including a selection from Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard; Dominick DiOrio’s The Visible World, a work about marriage equality from diverse historical perspectives; and a selection from composer Laura Kaminsky’s work As One, written for mezzo-soprano (Beth Madsen Bradford) and baritone (Damien Geter), which depicts the experiences of its sole transgender protagonist, Hannah, as she endeavors to resolve the discord between herself and the outside world.
Other special guests include:
- Stephen Marc Beaudoin (Executive Director of Maryland Symphony) and long-time Resonance Ensemble member), singing pieces by gay composers on the theme of PRETTY
- Portland writer and Resonance Poet in Residence, S. Renee Mitchell, performing an original work written for BODIES
- Vakare Petroliunaite, singing a poignant arrangement of Harold Arlen's Somewhere Over the Rainbow
- Debra Porta, Executive Director of Pride Northwest.
- Portland's beloved pianist David Saffert
“I had been envisioning a concert celebrating the artistic and civil rights work of the LGBTQIA community. What if Portland artists and supporters of this community shared an afternoon that showcased work of, for and about the cause? The power of community shines brightly when focused in the right direction.”
Following the concert, the audience will have the chance for a conversation with the concert collaborators. Light refreshments will be available.
Resonance Ensemble Presents: BODIES – An Official Pride NW Event
WHEN: Sunday, June 24, 2018 | 4 pm
WHERE: Cerimon House — 5131 NE 23rd Avenue
COST: $30 GENERAL ADMISSION | $25 SENIOR | $15 STUDENT/ARTIST | $5 ARTS FOR ALL
Note to Journalists: Katherine FitzGibbon is available for print, online, and broadcast interviews. If you would like more information on this event or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Liz Bacon Brownson at liz@ohcreativepdx.com or by calling 971-212-8034
###
Resonance Ensemble Teams with PRIDE Northwest to Celebrate and Support the LGBTQIA Community.
Shown here: Executive Directors, Debra Porta (Pride Northwest) and Kathy FitzGibbon (Resonance Ensemble)
“I heard about the equity and inclusion work that Resonance was doing and my ears perked. When Kathy approached me with ideas on a concert that celebrated the artistic works of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans communities, it was easy to see the value in partnering with Resonance. Our missions beautifully interweave, and I look forward to where we grow from here. ”
Resonance Ensemble and Pride Northwest are excited to announce their partnership, with the Resonance concert BODIES on Sunday, June 24, 2018 serving as an official event of Pride Northwest.
Resonance Ensemble’s current season is inspired by the events of this time of intense political and social upheaval, and aims to reflect the world we want to see: people coming together to gain new perspectives, and to be moved by our shared humanity. This inspiration merges with the mission of Pride Northwest - an organization dedicated to encouraging and supporting positive diversity, and educating all people by developing activities that showcase the history, accomplishments and talents of the LGBTQIA community. The result of this partnership is the upcoming performance of BODIES - an Official Pride Northwest event dedicated to celebrating gender identities, sexualities, and the LGBTQIA community’s work toward civil rights and understanding.
Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon says, “I had been envisioning a concert celebrating the artistic and civil rights work of the LGBTQIA community. What if Portland artists and supporters of this community shared an afternoon that showcased work of, for and about the cause? The power of community shines brightly when focused in the right direction. I knew immediately we had to connect with Pride Northwest.”
“I heard about the equity and inclusion work that Resonance was doing and my ears perked,” says Debra Porta, Executive Director of Pride Northwest. “When Kathy approached me with ideas on a concert that celebrated the artistic works of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans communities, it was easy to see the value in partnering with Resonance. Our missions beautifully interweave, and I look forward to where we grow from here.”
BODIES features compositions and performances by LGBTQIA artists, including a selection from Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard; Dominick DiOrio’s The Visible World, a work about marriage equality; and a selection from composer Laura Kaminsky’s work As One, written for mezzo-soprano (Beth Madsen Bradford) and baritone (Damien Geter) that depicts the experiences of its sole transgender protagonist, Hannah, as she endeavors to resolve the discord between herself and the outside world. Other special guests include:
- Stephen Marc Beaudoin singing a short trio of songs on the theme of PRETTY by gay composers which directly and or indirectly address gay living and lives.
- An original work performed by one of Portland’s most loved writers and Resonance Poet in Residence, S. Renee Mitchell
Pride Northwest and Resonance Ensemble look forward to this collaboration, which we hope to be the first of many.
This Much is Clear - S. Renée Mitchell
Resonance Ensemble's Poet in Residence, S. Renee Mitchell performed this original work at the second concert of our ninth season. The concert took place at First Presbyterian Church of Laurelhurst. 300+ people were moved deeply by these words.
“this much is clear god is in this place offering forgiveness
”
This Much Is Clear
(c) 2018 S. Renee Mitchell
this much is clear
god is in this place
laughing
singing
lurking
within the stanzas
recited from
rumi
tukaram
hafiz
would you accuse
me dear one
of sprinkling cayenne
on my tongue
for acknowledging
a form of god within me
playing paddycake
with open palms
and unguarded hearts
trying to bake love
as fast as we can
this much is clear
god is in this place
offering forgiveness
for the blasphemous thought
that we are eternally incomplete
when divine grace and power
is ours for the asking
is god not big enough
to be spoken
with every dialect & tongue
is not this being of light
rejoicing over the beauty
of each name assigned
Lord
Yehweh
Jehovah
Allah
Abba father
King of kings
are our arms not wide enough
to embrace our differences
and acknowledge light
unfolding from darker limbs
reaching for common understanding
must that question of commitment
require a conscious choice
this much is clear
god is in this place
eternal and immortal
willing to hold each of us
in all of our complexities
within a full embrace
withholding nothing
excluding nothing
encircling every pain
and heartbreak
singed into the fiber of our beings
in order to transform it
in the light of gods affection
is not the purpose of our souls
to awaken our hearts
to what is already inside of us
how can we ever find peace
if we are not first peaceful within
how can we ever truly speak of love
with tongue tied rebellions
false truths
and heavily breathing bigotry
that favors walls instead of bridges
where else will we find god
if not amongst the renaissance
that emerges from our ruins
we are humans after all
presbyterian, christian, baptist
muslim, jew, native, immigrant
white, black, brown, nonbinary
undocumented, unchurched
imperfect each one of us
how could our souls not need god
fortunately for us
this much is clear
god is in this place
look
look
please look
no
not around
look deeply within
ABOUT S. RENEE MITCHELL
S. Renee Mitchell, POET IN RESIDENCE, is a published author, curriculum designer, community activist and multi-media artist. She also is a sur\thriver who has found her life purpose since disentangling from bullying, sexual assault and domestic violence. After 25 years as an award-winning newspaper journalist - where she was nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize - Renee reinvented herself as a Creative Revolutionist; co-founded a culturally specific, drop-in DV resource center; and began gifting her talents to community as a poet, playwright, performer, speaker, teaching artist and self-taught graphic designer in order to create and contribute to empowering projects and programs, community healing ceremonies, plays, songs and books about healing from trauma. Motivated by intention and heart, Renee’s deepest desire is to help others use their creativity to let go, gather up and move on in order to find themselves, their voice, and their place in the world. You can find out more about Renee’s work at ReneeMitchellSpeaks.com.
Serendipity and S. Renee Mitchell
When our dear actor friend Vin Shambry had a conflict arise with our November VOICES concert, we were nervous about who would fill his shoes. Vin had been a big part of the conversations about exploring many perspectives through music and the arts -- conversations that had led to the concept of the 2017-18 season and a powerful sense of purpose for our organization.
Well, in an amazing experience of serendipity, a friend of a friend suggested that we reach out to S. Renee Mitchell. I hadn't ever met Renee before, but I visited her website and fell in love. Her website describes her as "Writer. Speaker. Artist. Teacher. Creative Revolutionist." The website for Spit/Write, the Portland Youth Poet Laureate Project, describes her as "Poetry Goddess." And when I started down the thrilling rabbit hole of watching YouTube videos of Renee's poetry readings... wow. (Go do it now! You won't regret it....)
We wrote to her, and wonder of wonders, she was available on the date of our show. We described the concept of the show and asked whether she'd be interested in reading one of her works there. She agreed!
Renee then came to part of the dress rehearsal, 2 days before the concert, to meet us and hear a little of the rehearsal. She talked more with us about the concept of the show. She listened to the music and read the program, which had the complete texts of the performance. She shared that the music and texts were inspiring to her and that she was going to go home and think about what she'd perform.
And here's the amazing part. She came back, 2 days later, for our show and had WRITTEN A BRAND-NEW POEM. It wove together the texts and concepts of all of the works on our program. In particular, the spiritual "There's a Man Goin' Round Takin' Names" comes back over and over again. For example:
I hear him goin round
delighting in taking my past, present and future
and drowning it in loss
alienating children of color with trauma by association
making them feel motherless before they are even born
yes I hear him goin round
but he cannot stop my soul from longing
and so i look for promise embedded in displacement
embrace comfort in the coolness of the cursive stream
just beyond the barbed wire fence
that barrier that keeps my movements
and my anger contained
but does not prevent my dreams from escaping
You'll want to read the full poem HERE and you'll also want to look at the concert program HERE (or preview it below) if you want to understand fully the artistic magic that Renee made happen, telling these stories, telling her own story, admonishing listeners to take care with names and identities and perspectives.
Poetry goddess? YES. And so we reached out after the concert and asked whether she might consider joining us for the rest of our season, as our first Poet in Residence. And, to our delight, she has accepted. We look forward to continuing this collaboration.
Goin' Round - S. Renee Mitchell
“so with non-violence grace
i reject your advice to abide
only in the spaces you call “my place”
because doing so would rob you
of resonance - of the reasons we all showed up tonight
”
Goin' Round
(c) 2017 S. Renee Mitchell
I hear the man is going round
he has forgotten that he is a part of us
he had misplaced the golden rule
refused to dream
lost the ties to our convictions
he searches for proof of childish lies
in the folds of his belly button
he pulls out the sticky fluff - sniffs
and declares it genius
I hear he's goin round
mispronouncing my too-ethnic name
disregarding my presence, my rhythms, my potential
yet, his prejudice does not make me disappear
unconscious lies do not exist forever
I hear him goin round
delighting in taking my past, present and future
and drowning it in loss
alienating children of color with trauma by association
making them feel motherless before they are even born
yes I hear him goin round
but he cannot stop my soul from longing
and so i look for promise embedded in displacement
embrace comfort in the coolness of the cursive stream
just beyond the barbed wire fence
that barrier that keeps my movements
and my anger contained
but does not prevent my dreams from escaping
you cannot dehumanize my truth
by assigning struggle to my doorstep
so generations of my descendants
have something to fill their empty bowls with
brick and stone may define my chorus of exile
but they do not tame my persistent longing for a promised land
as God rewards the child
who's got his own hope
yes, I hear the man goin round
roaring a thickening noise in my ear
shouting memorials of fear
that make the emotionally deadened
want to lie still and forget
get lost in the dictionary of silence
but when grief makes noise
i find renewal in moving my body
raising limbs to catch stars
pressing feet toward Mother Earth
to forget the memories
of the blood that roars in my ear
dance it says
when the world forgets your name, dance
when there's no one to hold u
when not even the scent makes claim
on your haggard body
dance, the blood says, dance I say
lose yourself
become invincible like dreams
unconditional like love
green like tall grass
offering companionship to wildflowers
of yellow scarlet indigo purple
when torrents of the rarely voiced
seldom heard stuffed down feelings
come up from your throat like rotten milk
dance to release the sting of life's aches
a simple wave a stroke
a turn a hop
sway those hips for no good reason
but to be in charge
of your own damn movement
dance the blood roars - dance
dance even while imagining the ominous outcomes
of a dream deferred
because we do live in a nation
sick with power and evil intent
and fear makes my stomach lurch sometimes
yet i rise up and i will dance
i will dance to replenish my sovereignty of self love
to quench my hunger for justice
hear its appeal soar from the hymns of spirituals
born in the bosoms of black mothers
praying for the eventual freedom
of genius children yet unborn
so mister i hear you coming 'round
and I am ready
i stand on the side of justice
where my faith may falter but never fail
I invite you to view me sacred
a weapon on the side of justice
come join our song
or at the very least - listen carefully
because when you do not hear our voices
you alienate our collective intelligence
you dismiss the liberation that love reveals
so with non-violence grace
i reject your advice to abide
only in the spaces you call "my place"
because doing so would rob you
of resonance - of the reasons we all showed up tonight
we are here to hear voices that describe feeling like the other
voices that long for a homeland
voices that heal wounds and demand compassion
this is the event we have been waiting for
and we hear you going round
yet I am not afraid
my remaining request
is when you get to the names
of my brothers and sisters of struggle and resistance
even though we are far from home
set aside your navel gazing
and assumptions that our monikers
are evidence of cultural inferiority
instead of what they are: gloriously creative inventions
to open the world up to our presence
yes, we hear you going round
going round taking names
and when you get to my name
unfamiliar and foreign in your mouth
please please
at least have the decency
to pronounce it right
A Soundtrack for the Eclipse.
Before you don your viewing glasses on Monday, turn on your radio...
“Before you don your viewing glasses and turn your gaze to the sky on Monday, August 21st, turn on your radio...”
This Monday, the sun will be hidden from view by the moon. Resonance Ensemble will be there with you, performing a world premiere commission at the moment of totality.
Resonance Ensemble, together with Oregon Symphony's principal cellist, Nancy Ives, Chris Whyte of the Portland Percussion Group, and improvisational vocalist Erick Valle, will be featured on the Eclipse Soundtrack set to climax as the eclipse reaches totality with a WORLD PREMIERE broadcast, specially commissioned and recorded for the occasion by All Classical Portland.
Photo Credit: N. Iwasaki
Composed by renowned Irish musician and scholar Desmond Earley, the new work titled, The Body of the Moon is scored for choir, solo voice, cello, and bass drum. Tune in all around Oregon by way of All Classical Portland’s seven FM repeater stations. Download the free All Classical Portland app or visit allclassical.org to listen on mobile devices. Those in Portland for the occasion are invited to join a viewing event hosted by the Rose Festival in Tom McCall Waterfront Park (more information at rosefestival.org). Find a seat next to All Classical Portland’s panel truck to hear the soundtrack projected live!
Resonance Ensemble and other Portland area musicians surround the composer, Desmond Earley and RE Artistic Director, Katherine FitzGibbon at a recent rehearsal.
Fantastic KGW Promo!
Kudos to All Classical Portland’s, Suzanne Nance and The Body of The Moon composer Desmond Earley for this great interview on KGW about our upcoming soundtrack for the eclipse, being performed by Resonance Ensemble, Nancy Ives, Chris Whyte, and Erick Valle. Check it out!
Resonance Ensemble: Carefully Programming Since 2009
““I can’t know what it feels like to be an artist of color or a person of color. But I can do what is in my power to think about structural racism in the arts...” ”
Thanks to Oregon Arts Watch for this thoughtful and thought-provoking response regarding their troubling review of our most recent concert. (You can read the review here.) I appreciate several aspects in particular. The OAW editors affirm their own philosophy of inclusion, as well as their philosophy of including diverse opinions of writers in their publication. They corrected the factual inaccuracies in the original review, quoting the points in the letter Vin and I had written. And while they do not wish to censor their writers, they apologize for not having edited the “unduly harsh” tone of the original review (a phrase used both in the editors’ commentary and in Terry Ross’s brief quotation). They note that they have learned “that the charged way he expressed those opinions could indeed make the artists involved feel unwelcome in arts settings.” I appreciate the spirit of learning and reflection that the editors convey here. And I especially appreciate the specific apology they make to Vin, as well as the acknowledgement of Resonance’s mission and history of creating barrier-breaking concerts that include many styles of music performance.
There are ways that I wish this response went further. I would have loved for Terry Ross to have engaged more deeply in this conversation by offering a more substantive and substantial response. The editors of OAW describe the ways that they listened to and learned from community responses. It would have been helpful and healing for Ross to have described the ways he listened and learned.
I appreciated as well this statement by the OAW editors: “Part of the problem, which FitzGibbon and Shambry identify, is the stance of the critic. We see this once-common formalist critical stance supporting the most conservative cultural values: the few against the many, the white against the black, the rich against the poor, the known against the unknown, the old against the new.” This was one of the few places that acknowledged the role of class in this discussion. I would also add gender to the list of conservative values: the men against the women. (Readers of comments on the original review will see gender writ large.)
These class and gender biases worked against Nikole Potulsky’s song, “Baby Mine.” I feel that Nikole has been treated poorly throughout this discussion. As Vin and I wrote, Nikole is a world-class folk music performer, so Ross’s calling her performance “amateurish” was totally off-base. She performs in a folk style – a style historically for the working class, the disenfranchised. She’s a beautiful singer and sensitive guitarist. And she wrote a song that is about an issue experienced by many women (and men, of course) – the issue of child loss, of wishing you could hold a child in your arms. As a woman who has had a miscarriage, and as a woman who has seen friends go through other unspeakably difficult child losses, I listened to this song and felt like it told our stories of grief, and in a musical style that conveyed them as a simple lullaby that heightened their poignancy. I saw audience members in tears. Ross’s repeated dismissal of Nikole’s song as “amateurish” seems like another way of limiting his desired concert content to the conservative, upper-class cultural values cited above by the OAW editors. I feel that Nikole deserves an apology too, but I can only take care of my own part of this, which is to say: Nikole, I am sorry that I did not defend you more vociferously from the beginning. Your music is brave, tender, and rich, and having you be part of the concert deepened the whole evening for me and for many others.
My former student Will Preston, now a writer himself, commented to me that his issue with the original review was that Ross’s “argument appears to be based on nothing more than the fact that the pieces didn’t fit within his expectation of what ‘proper programming’ ought to be, rather than considering what Resonance was trying to accomplish… and judging it on those merits. I think this is also supported by how condescending the tone is. I mean, ‘This advice would have been well heeded by Katherine FitzGibbon?’ Really? That basically implies that the concert was a ‘mixed bag’ because Kathy didn't consider what these pieces might sound like next to each other! That's a completely absurd claim. If the reviewer had actually tried to engage with the programming and still found it problematic, it'd be a different story. But I see no evidence for that in the text.”
Part of Will’s sentiment was conveyed by the OAW editors – that the concert review seemed to focus on what “proper programming” should be. But I’d like to second Will’s suggestion of an alternative framework. What did the programming try to accomplish? Was it successful?
The response that Vin and I originally wrote was primarily limited to a commentary on the final paragraph of Terry Ross’s review. I wanted to be careful not to appear to be a disgruntled or defensive artistic director rebutting a bad review. I always seek to learn from reviews and audience responses. What did we do that “resonated” with our audience? What didn’t work? What can we do better in the future?
I’ve decided to come clean on a couple of aspects of my own personal response to this matter. I was troubled by the opening salvo of the review, “Be careful with your programming. This advice would have been well heeded by Katherine FitzGibbon in putting together the June 24 concert of her choir Resonance Ensemble at Portland’s Yale Union.” My programming is careful and intentional. I resented the implication that I forgot to take care with programming. In fact, I told the audience that we had carefully paired musical works together: waves of grief being answered by waves of healing. AllClassical host Christa Wessel posted on her Facebook page that she felt the concert to have been “thoughtfully curated by Katherine FitzGibbon in a way that – in my experience – very few concerts are.”
I’ve been thinking recently about Reni Eddo-Lodge’s important article, “Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race”. As Eddo-Lodge writes, “They’ve never had to think about what it means, in power terms, to be white- so any time they’re vaguely reminded of this fact; they interpret it as an affront.” Or, “It must be a strange life, always having permission to speak and feeling indignant when you’re finally asked to listen. It stems from white people’s never questioned entitlement, I suppose. I cannot continue to emotionally exhaust myself trying to get this message across, whilst also toeing a very precarious line that tries not to implicate any one white person in their role of perpetuating structural racism, lest they character assassinate me.”
I can’t know what it feels like to be an artist of color or a person of color. But I can do what is in my power to think about structural racism in the arts and in society and create inclusive concert spaces (and classrooms). I can listen when people of color share their truths. And I can do my best to invite concertgoers and our Portland arts community to ask themselves the hard questions, without defensiveness or (if applicable) white fragility, with openness to mutual understanding. And so I ask if our community can think about the power dynamics in our arts scene. Would some of the responses to Vin’s work have happened had he been white? Would the questioning of my supposed lack of care in programming have happened had I been a male conductor? Would the questioning of Nikole’s music have happened if she had been performing upper-class art music, or a text about a male experience? Would people have read the letter Vin and I wrote with as much respect if we would have allowed more anger to show through our language?
Sincerely,
Katherine FitzGibbon
Artistic Director, Resonance Ensemble
Finding the Silver Lining in a Troubling Review
On June 24, 2017, Resonance Ensemble performed a concert called “…. only in falling” presenting music and monologues that explored personal grief, healing, and transformation. On July 3, Oregon Arts Watch published a review of the concert by Terry Ross. The review contained several troubling sentences about Vin Shambry’s performance of his original work, “Brother Man.” On July 7, Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon and actor/singer Vin Shambry published the following letter on Oregon Arts Watch.
We are troubled by the macro- and microaggressions against Vin Shambry’s piece “Brother Man.” We write to ask Ross and Oregon Arts Watch to consider the language and ideas they published and to invite our arts community to engage in dialogue about who is in charge of whose art, who decides what is welcome (especially in “classical” music performances), and how we can empower the arts community and, especially, the next generation to represent and witness many voices and perspectives.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
There were a shocking number of problematic statements in the two sentences Ross wrote about “Brother Man.” To call it an “impersonation” implies a kind of caricature or something inauthentic, which follows in the long tradition of minstrelsy and of rendering black performances as inferior to white performances. Vin’s piece was a genuine statement of his own perspective, his daily perspective which is informed by being a man of color living in our predominantly white city and in this time in the United States. Ross cannot understand Vin’s perspective – no one can fully understand another person’s perspective – so to label it as an “impersonation” devalues it and sets it aside.
Second, Vin’s sung performance had nothing to do with “rap style.” Rap incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular" (Keyes 2004:1). It is astounding that Ross would lump this performance into the category of rap.
Third, this also had nothing to do with Black Lives Matter, which is an entire movement with a specific set of goals. Again, “Brother Man” expressed Vin’s personal feelings and his experience of daily life.
Fourth, Ross refers to the “ghetto’s mean streets” and “murderous cops,” neither of which stereotypes figured whatsoever in Vin’s piece.
Fifth, Ross writes that “blacks were not, to my recollection, specifically mentioned.” Ross’s tone when he refers to “blacks” is not only off-putting but suggests that the experience of all African-Americans, Africans, and African-Caribbeans are the same (and linked with the “ghetto” and “mean streets”).
And if “blacks” were not specifically mentioned (in point of fact, there is a single mention of “men of color” in the piece), then why did he conclude that the piece was in the manner of a Black Lives Matter “screed”?
Sixth, and most devastatingly, Ross concludes, “This small bit of actorly free expression was desperately out of place and unwelcome in this setting.” This statement troubled and angered us such that we feel the need to affirm how welcome Vin’s perspective was and is, in the world of classical music and whatsoever. We affirm that concert and theater performances are richer and deeper when they are inclusive of many points of view, both aesthetically and psychologically. (Ross also criticized other styles that were not classically choral, as in his remarks about the inclusion of singer-songwriter Nikole Potulsky, an artist with a national reputation who is just coming off a sold-out solo show in Portland). It seems that Ross has a narrow understanding of what “belongs” on a classical music concert, and indeed, an understanding that does not reflect the fundamental mission of Resonance Ensemble, one of collaboration with many styles, art forms, and communities. We believe that art can provoke and move its listeners. Clearly, Mr. Ross felt provoked by and uncomfortable with the inclusion of Vin’s piece, and we ask him to consider why it did not feel “welcome.”
The silver lining is that this review has galvanized us to develop several new collaborations to celebrate the potential of theater and classical music to share underrepresented perspectives; showcase the work of actors, singers, composers, and directors of color; and show young people in particular that the worlds of classical music and theater do welcome all of us. We are developing an experimental theater and music piece with Vin, Resonance Ensemble and the Artists Repertory Theatre that will seek to show Vin’s inner thoughts as he walks through Portland as a man of color. We are each continuing and expanding initiatives that reach out to students and families of color. And we hope to continue to reach out to our arts community through our intentional programming choices, panel discussions, and other forms of engagement to continue to help Portland become a more welcoming and compassionate place.
Sincerely,
Vin Shambry and Katherine FitzGibbon
