About the Work

Every adult has once been a child.  Yet in adulthood, it can be easy to forget about what it was like to be a child: the dreams we dreamed, the questions we asked (out loud, or perhaps shyly within our minds), the adult-made rules and expectations that we tried to navigate, the wishes we made that were never granted.  freeing child, for 3-5 performers who are adults, takes us on a journey of active reflection through music.  The performers are asked to connect with their child-selves and commit to honoring the dignity of young people and freeing themselves to grow.

The score of freeing child is a text score.  This means that instead of dictating what notes and rhythms you play, the score offers textual prompts for musical improvisation and personal reflection.  The piece also involves audio recordings of a child asking questions ("What were you like as a child?") which performers must answer verbally out loud, based on their personal experiences.  Thus every performance of the work is very different, shaped by the unique backgrounds and personalities of each ensemble.  And since the performance prompts do not require any particular level of technique or even improvisational skill or experience, it is accessible to a wide range of ensembles, from professional avant-garde improvisers to curious-minded sound-makers without formal musical training.  You could be part of the next performance!

freeing child is a musical composition, a communal reflective practice, an embodied performance, an activist project for the liberation of young people.  Thus this Google Site has multiple purposes:

1. To promote the musical work freeing child.

2. To provide resources for learning about youth rights and liberation.

3. To inspire other creative work relating to youth rights and liberation.

In pursuit of accessibility, I have made the score and accompanying materials freely available on this site so that anyone may browse them and perform using them.  In the top navigation menu, click on "Resources" to find a growing list of resources pertaining to issues impacting young people, and click on "Reflections" to participate in a collective creative project.  

Acknowledgements: Thank you to Erin Rogers and Allison Adams for helping me to refine this work and make the premiere a success.