artist statement

I am a composer, performer, and scholar working at the nexus between theory and practice. Driven by inquiries into the nature of liberation, I create music for postcolonial future makers. Blending folk, pop, and experimental genres, I seek to disrupt boundaries of race, nation, and gender to conjure new possibilities for personhood. Heavy on improvisation and participation, my works invite performers and listeners to become active shapers of their own worlds through sound and movement. 

Whether through original songs, instrumental scores, theatrical works, or performance installations, I am invested in developing a folk tradition for the 21st century. How can music functionally support the social and political needs of daily life, whether in labor, healing, spiritual practice, or community building? To explore this question, I merge Black and other roots forms with virtual and digital technologies, investigating aesthetic and political resonances across time. Whether voicing the ring shout through electronic instruments or supporting a hip hop anthem with acoustic hand drums, my music points to the trans-temporal power of Black expression. I am inspired by artists, healers, and culture workers who draw on the forms of traditional practices while creating new content that speaks to present-day concerns. I seek to revive historic styles that can reinvigorate contemporary culture with timeworn spirit, as well as engage current popular music as a tool for social “work” beyond consumption.

I am also interested in how music and culture can illuminate stories of marginalized people. I create pieces that investigate historical moments or figures through speculative reimaginations, disrupting dominant histories by showcasing queer, trans, and people of color. Listening for quieter voices at the margins provides a more comprehensive view of our past that can better orient us to the social and political dynamics of the present. Revealing sites of radical action—from slave rebellions to trans activism—my work points toward strategies for eradicating oppressive structures. And by painting visions of the what-if versus as-is, these works invite listeners to imagine and feel in the flesh possibilities beyond present realities.

My music is meant to be a part of daily life and I encourage active engagement with it by emphasizing danceable beats and catchy hooks that beg to be sung. “Bug Ball” might be chanted by a throng of marchers at a political rally or blasted through speakers in a spin class. A parent might sing “Prairie” to put their child to sleep, as a busker offers their take for passersby on the corner down the street. While I usher this music into the world, I long for it to be collectively held and used. I desire to find new (or remember old) ways for culture to support the act of living, especially in the face of crisis, change, and the unknown. Insisting that we honor the past through present innovation, my work encourages listeners to reflect on our past, and use music as a tool to imagine more equitable and expansive futures.