WHO WE ARE ANNIVERSARY SHOW
GERALD LAW II PRESENTS THE
‘Who We Are’ Project
The ‘Who We Are’ project is intended to illuminate African-American culture. The music will portray who we are as people, using text and audio from interviews to amplify the sound and perspective of these voices — the sounds of these human beings. This interdisciplinary residency is a collaboration that includes the creation of new music and visual art based on interviews with a broad range of Black and African-American individuals.
PROGRAM
“Voices”
Gerald Law II (b. 1991)
“American Black”
Gerald Law II
”I Am Human”
Gerald Law II
”Sons”
Gerald Law II, Joel Law (b. 1995), and Jamiel Law (b. 1997)
”Sisters”
Gerald Law II
”Human Interlude”
Gerald Law II
”Who We Are”
Gerald Law II
“Family”
Gerald Law II and Joel Law
“Good Friend”
Santoy Campbell (b. 1992) and Gerald Law II
MUSICIANS
Gerald Law II - drums
Paul Chung-You - trumpet
Jose Rojas - tenor saxophone
Arthur Brown - piano
Derrick Harvin - keyboards
LaVon Rushing - bass
Andreas Volmer - violin
Charles Édouard Glazer - violin
Anabel Tejeda - viola
Jean-Marie Glazer - cello
Jamiel Law - lead vocalist
Alisha Aldona - soprano
Brittney Coulanges - alto
Keturah Joy - tenor
PROGRAM NOTES
“Voices”
”Voices” is being debuted on Timucua stage for the very first time. This tune was written as the theme for the character of General Touissaint, representing Toussaint Louverture who was a prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution. In the writing sessions, Law channeled what a conversation would be between a grandparent, their child, and their grandchild in regards to the state of the world. Each perspective offers a different viewpoint based on their experiences and the climate of the society they live in.
LYRICS
The voices from our past
Shine a light on our darkest paths
While the voices of the future
Warn us of fading culture
But the voices of the present
They remind us to be present
In the moments before us
Before us returns to dust
Voices ringing
Triumph fleeting
Children singing
Parents weeping
Nations crying, dying
Voices, voices, voices, voices
Voices
You hear them shout out
Voices
You feel them louder
Voices
Voices
“American Black”
After watching George Floyd’s life fade away under the knee of a police officer, Law heard the sound of a trumpet blaring in his head. The piano drone and opening of this tune was born that night and it set this entire project into motion. The darkness of the sound and the tension built from start to finish speak to the rage that emerged from the witnessing of murder—the murder of someone that could easily be you simply because of the color your skin.
LYRICS
Living in a swarm of hate
Tiptoe from day to day
Caution is a way of life
Step out of line and pay the price
It doesn’t matter what we do
We must face the ugly truth
This is black in America
Black in America
Black in America
Black in America
Black in America
Black in America
Black in America
American Black
“I Am Human”
I am human! When writing this project, Law reached out to people of color to gather perspectives on their feelings during the summer/fall of 2020. With each response, he asked the participants to send a voice recording saying the words, “I am human.” These many voices set the mood for this piece.
“Sons”
Growing up in a house with two younger brothers (Joel and Jamiel), Law was well aware of how to handle himself in potential run-ins with the police. After the summer of 2020 and the increase in power of social media, being Black in America became more terrifying than ever before. To amplify the situation, Law had recently become a first time father and he and wife, Yohanna, had many emotional conversations around leaving our home for any reason. During the creation of this project, Law and his brothers sat to talk about their experiences growing up and Joel began to underscore the conversation on piano. The melody and lyrics that follow flowed directly from that conversation.
LYRICS
Our sons don’t make it home
Though we try to keep holding on
Say their names
Don’t let their memories fade
“Sisters”
The songs based on the perspectives of women were the toughest to write according to Law. Simply put, these aren’t his experiences. Of the three songs directly related to women (“Mothers”, “Daughters”, and “Sisters”), the responses to feelings of being a sister came from a place of confusion in Law’s eyes. There was a struggle between feeling strong and weak, seen and invisible, confident and voiceless. The theme of this back and forth inspired the odd meter of the song’s construction and the even more odd syncopations that are the foundation of the song. The uneasiness of the song quickly settles at the bridge and it represents the highs of the inner battle, the victories from within.
“Human Interlude”
Operating day-to-day while out of work leaves lots of time to think and reflect. It’s amazing how people can treat others so terribly—completely inhuman. These thoughts provoked a few questions that were set to a keyboard arpeggio functioning as a stream of consciousness.
LYRICS
Can you hear me
Crying for help?
Do you see me
Or just my skin?
“Who We Are”
The title track of the project is a moment of reflection. This will be the last song on the album and it’s an opportunity to reflect on where we are and what is still to come. There are still many possibilities ahead of us and that path has been paved by courageous and driven people who look just like us.
LYRICS
When we feel lost
Take a look in the mirror
Always remember
Who we are
We’re stronger than we know
‘Cause we’re never alone
Remember the ones that came before
Kicked down the doors
For you and me
To walk more freely
And be who we are
“Family”
4 miles, 7 miles, 10 miles, and more! Law was on a roll pushing the limits of his body and getting into the best shape of his life. Buzz, buzz, buzz…another death, another murder. Ahmaud Arbery was killed at the hands of hateful men while on a jog. What about this young man exercising poses a threat other than the color of his skin? While driving to work the next morning, lyrics began to flow over a piano recording sent over by Joel Law.
LYRICS
When you wake up in the morning
And you see the news
That someone else who looks like you
Will never move again
How do you press on
Where do you find hope
When the next death might be you
From running down the street
To hanging from a tree
What if we traded you for me
How do you think
The response would be
If the world saw its family instead of me
As we swarm the streets for answers
We life our voice (for justice)
But the ones swore to save us
Are the first to cut us down
How do we press on
Where do we find hope
When we don’t know who to trust?
Oh what we can be
If we care to see
That we all are fruit of the same tree
But when you look at me
Somehow all you see
Is an enemy
Oh what we can be
If we care to see
That we all are fruit of the same tree
So if we dare to dream
Like Dr. King
Then maybe, we can be
Family
“Good Friend”
While gathering perspectives for this project, a friend of Law’s sent it a response in the form of an audio file. While expecting to hear audible responses to the questions sent, Law was met with a song! Santoy Campbell said that the questions for the project led him to sit and write. This song has become a staple of the ‘Who We Are’ project and it speaks to one of the solutions we all need. Be a good friend. We are all human, we are all connected.
LYRICS
You make me feel differently (differently)
They can try their best just to intimidate me (intimidate me)
And I know that I’m not the easiest one to get along with (yeah yeah yeah yeah)
But I don’t think you need to pull out your nightstick (oh)
We can ball after school religiously (religiously, yeah)
A pick up game, 21, or anything so you see me (you see me, yeah)
Other ones go home and they greet their mama
I got to be treated with drama (drama)
Just (so you can see) me equally (equally)
But I just wanna be a good friend (good friend), a good friend (good friend), good friend (good friend)
That could make a difference (difference), difference (difference), difference (difference)
I’m not someone to try to tell you what to do (oh oh oh)
Just let you be free to be you (be you)
I just wanna be a good friend (good friend), a good friend (good friend), good friend (good friend)
They’re trying there best to divide us (to divide us)
Thinking that’s the only way to win (way to win)
(But I won’t let hate take over)
I’ll try my best to be a better man (oh)
We play ball after school like Americans (Americans, yeah)
Go up and down a basketball court (down the basketball court)
And if they say what we won’t do I tell ya (I’ll tell ya)
We’ll only get better (only get better, in the long haul)
I just wanna be a good friend (good friend), a good friend (good friend), good friend (good friend)
That could make a difference (difference), difference (difference), difference (difference)
I’m not someone to try to tell you what to do (oh oh oh)
Just let you be free to be you (be you)
I just wanna be a good friend (good friend), a good friend (good friend), good friend (good friend)