This composition, written in July 2019, was my first big political statement in music. I don't like to politically outspoken in my work, but for this project I made an exception. I wrote it during a classical music camp at Eastman School of Music, and while the origin of this piece is simple — I met a singer at the camp and asked if she wanted a piece* — the inspiration comes from a much serious situation: the migrant crisis on America's southern border. While it was written a year after the horrific family separations, thousands of refugees fleeing oppression to seek asylum in America are still being turned away.
The poem "The New Colossus" was written by Emma Lazarus in 1883, in a time when millions of people from all across the globe were coming to the United States in search of better lives, and is inscribed inside the Statue of Liberty. It describes the statue as a symbol of hope and hospitality for refugees desperate for freedom. I chose to set this poem as a statement to those in charge who are betraying our legacy and closing the door on so many immigrants, to remind them — and all Americans — of our wholly American values of welcoming and compassion.
Arianna Carlo, soprano
David Baranowski, piano
Produced by Gary Tole
Recorded on January 19, 2020
*Shoutout to the two performers of this piece at Eastman: Erin Ennis and Ethan Resnik! Love you guys!
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