In 1830, Peter Cooper designed Tom Thumb, the first steam locomotive, to convince the B&O Railroad to use steam engines. Although it was beat out by a horse-drawn car in an impromptu race, Tom Thumb was the beginning of steam powered travel in the United States. 

This brief duet was originally inspired by Steve Reich's "Different Trains" and was written as part of a sketch assignment while studying at NYU under Julia Wolfe. 

Enjoy! 

Tom Thumb

MIDDLEGROUND: the space grounded, the between, the center. The Heartland. The prairie, the grasslands, Konza, Flint Hills, Manhattan, Emporia, Salina. Where we gathered.

Home of the heart, heart of the home.

The years spent in cars, daydreaming, scooping handfuls of wheat, racing out into amber fields, cycling together, water wheel ice cream, fireworks and apples. The stories shared, books read sprawled in the yard, family prayers over anything, late evening walks, quiet nights. Open arms, open hearts, humble and extraordinary. 

Together, with our wonder, our joy, we created an incredible painting with abounding colors. The kinds of colors that linger in the minds eye long after they are out of sight and cradle you long after goodbyes are spoken and car doors closed. The kinds that find you counting the days until the next birthday, the next holiday, the next bike ride, the next Camp, the next anything just so you can see them again. When you close your eyes you feel their warmth. They stay.

The middle ground: my refuge born from the land living in my heart. Where my home is, living and breathing outside of my body, thousands of miles apart. This hallowed ground.




World premiere by the JACK Quartet in New York City, 2016.  

MIDDLEGROUND

SAY

I must have been in 1st grade or Kindergarten
when some kid said the “n” word in front of me
and I didn’t know what it meant but I wanted to find out
It kept rolling around in my head
What is it? A name? Is it a good name? 
I said it out loud at home, and remember my Dad looked sad.

I must have been in 4th grade
when we had to take the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test
and to tell the state how smart we were
We also had to tell them what race we were
“Select One Answer” but I needed two bubbles to be honest
I asked my teacher “why can’t I fill in ‘black’ and ‘white’” 
And she said “just fill in black”
and she looked sad.

In high school, I was on the swim team
My brother was on the swim team
We were both really good. We were both varsity swimmers. We both were champions.
Someone said, “I didn’t even know black people could swim”
Another said, “well, you’re only good athletes because you’re black.”
I was sad.

I went to college, and was the only mixed student in the music department.
I played saxophone in all of the top ensembles- I was first chair bari sax in every group we had. I earned that.
A guy I knew made black jokes all the time.
“you’re so white though”
“haha it’s just because you’re black though isn’t it?”
I slapped him across the face at a party once. Hard. I wasn’t even drinking 
I was just so mad.
So mad.

I live in New York City now.
You can be whoever you want
You can be nobody
The anonymity of solitude
The fame of individuality
I love it.
Every day I decide to be myself. 
Just a drop of creamy coffee 
In the pantone of people here
I am comfortable. I am happy.

But I read the news 
I read what the things people I went to high school with are posting
And how “all lives matter” though so why are you complaining
And “well, he shoulda just listened to the cop and that wouldn’t have happened”
And needing to build a wall
And needing to take back our country
And needing to keep our guns
And needing to build up our police force 
And needing to            - - - - - - -     these thugs

I cry a lot when I read the news
So much hurting
Because of the bubble they’re asked to fill out on an exam form
Because someone forgot to use a turn signal
Because they “fit the description”
I can’t breathe.
I am sad.

I, for the first time, have found an identity for myself.
I am black, I am white. I am both. I get to be both. I can choose. 
But who cares?
What does my mask entitle me to?
I’ve been followed around a store before
I got a DWB (driving while black) in summer once when I was really tan
A coworker said the “n” word a bunch around me but “oh, well I thought she was Mexican” 
My opinions have been scrutinized
It matters to me what I feel
But it doesn’t matter.

America is a big place.
A lot of people live in it.
Some people understand everyone’s pain
And some people want “the good old days” back. 
We should be able to choose individually
Who we wanna be/what we want to do/how we get to live
But as of late we haven’t been able to, and it gets summarized in the headlines:
Rich white dude raped a woman and went to jail for like 20 seconds
Poor black kid was killed for no real reason. Was killed.

So what do we have to say for ourselves, hm?
What do you have to say for yourself?
What do we even say?
“liking” and hash-tagging have helped some so far
I don’t even know if God is listening 
We keep saying all these things over and over
But what’s the use? What’s the truth? 
Dead horse is done beat to death more and here we are kicking away at it
so what do we do? What can we say?
So what do you have to say for yourself?
What do I have to say for myself?
What do we even say?
Say it 
Say it
Say it


Live premiere by the Schiele Quartet (Molly Aronson, Mujan Hosseinzadeh, Adrianne Munden-Dixon, and Michelle Painter) November 4th, 2016 in New York City. All text (lyrics and poetry) written by Shelley Washington.

Inspired by some of my favorite licks that Charles Mingus ever wrote, this solo baritone saxophone piece is meant to swing hard. 

Mingus wrote and performed some of the most influential jazz music in our history, and his colossal library of repertoire spans an enormous breadth and depth of emotions. The passion, the rage, the soul, the fiery energy. Mingus was a man possessed. This piece serves to be my own small reflection in tribute to the "Angry Man of Jazz."

Live world premiere performed by the composer herself, Shelley Washington, in November of 2016.

MO'INGUS

"Silk" was written for and premiered by Bearthoven at NYU Steinhardt, April 3rd, 2017.

Karl Larson, piano
Pat Swoboda, upright bass
Matt Evans, vibraphone and drum set

http://www.bearthoven.com/

Live recording by Aaron Garcia.
http://www.aarongarciacomposer.com/

Silk

"The Third Colossus" was written for and premiered by the New York University Orchestra on May 8, 2017 as part of their annual composer competition. Conducted by Eduardo Leandro. 

Recorded live in Frederick Loewe Theatre, New York, NY.

The Third Colossus

The Workers' Dreadnought

(For Electric Guitar Quartet)

Ironclad
From each angle
Impenetrable- as if the
bolts
of fabric clothing their frames,
a cotton iron, steel-
which formed the mightiest wall of both
Blossoming and full figures
was able to push forward
fueled by the steam of their desire and
the embers of their hate;
The Workers,
plowing forward in one movement
the waves in their wake
throttling the persistent trials of time,
knew the war they waged-
with white wears woven
signaling a faux peace, yet shrouding truth-
For their resolve was patient-
A lifetime battle for an infinite war.
“Hell hath no fury” 

Live performance performed by Aaron Garcia, Andrew Noseworthy, Oliver Hickman, and Caleb Abner.
May 7th, 2017- New York, NY

The Workers' Dreadnought

A Kind of Lung was written for a diverse ensemble expressing an experience we all share - breathing together. Commissioned by the Bang on a Can Summer Festival, where I was a fellow in 2017. 

Naomi Johnson- flute
Erlan Kasabolotov- Sabyzgy
Hunter Shelby Long- Paetzold Contrabass Recorder
Khushbakht Niyozov- Rubab
Sayat Yeshmatov- Dombra
Shannon Reilly Steigerwald- Violin
Nick Photinos- Cello
Nadezda Filippova- Piano
Caitlin Cawley- Percussion / Vibraphone
Kevin Zetina- Percussion / Drum Set

This live performance was from the premiere concert held at Mass MoCa.

A Kind Of Lung

"The Farthest" - Words and Music written by Shelley Washington

Commissioned by Dianne Berkun Menaker for the Brooklyn Youth Chorus "Silent Voices: If You Listen", April 2018. Performed by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus accompanied by members of the ICE Ensemble.

. . . . .

I wanted to write a piece that would comment on the desires that many young people currently share; wants that span the personal “when I grow up...” to the public “in the future, we...” I also wanted my piece to ring true for any person during the era that they were young - their dreams for the future, taking risks in hopes of stepping closer to their goals, and forming alliances against adversaries. We as people have always wanted to be some form of good, and for our futures to be brighter than our present. Individuals’ belief of what constitutes goodness has the power to write laws, create religions, and drive culture. This desire to be personally better, to intentionally grow into our collective best, has steered the rise and fall of every empire. The Farthest is intended to be sung by the voices of now as a call both forward and backwards in time; a shout of gratitude back to those who challenged the wrongs of their time, and a call forward to all listeners to never give up hope, and to strive for being their best.

. . . .

The Series
Silent Voices is a multimedia, multi-composer, and multi-year series of concert works with spoken word conceived, produced and performed by Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Silent Voices amplifies the voices of those silenced or marginalized in our communities and harnesses the power of young people to be instruments of change. The Chorus has commissioned a dynamic group of innovative artists to interpret rich personal stories and historical narratives exploring contemporary themes of identity, orientation, status, boundaries, and belonging.

This Show
If You Listen, the second installment in the Silent Voices series, builds on the success of its 2017 premiere at BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House, co-commissioned with Brooklyn Academy of Music, and WQXR, New York. In Silent Voices: If You Listen, eight composers, all women, collaborate with the choristers in confronting the challenges of division and categorization, racism, sexism, social and economic disparity, immigration, our environment, and threats to our understanding of truth, as we prepare to move towards a more inclusive and compassionate vision of the future. Featured composers include Julia Adolphe, Olga Bell, Anna Clyne, Paola Prestini, Toshi Reagon, Shaina Taub, Shelley Washington, Bora Yoon.

The Farthest  - for SSSAAA Choir

Composer / Performer / Saxophonist / Educator / Friend  - Let's make some noise together - NYC.

Shelley Washington

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