Orbits

From Will Healy:

The initial idea for “Orbits” came from a conversation I had with my father almost a decade ago in 2013, the night a close friend of mine died. My dad said that in life, there is a gradual pulling apart in which we slowly separate from those closest to us, and it begins from the moment we are born. As we grow older, we are like points diverging farther and farther apart, colliding with others and then drifting away. More than any organized religious dogma, my dad believes in a great coming together of these points after death.

Years later, I sat practicing some Claude Debussy piano études in my first-floor apartment in New York City, taking a break from composing a piece — while crowds of people walked by on the sidewalk in front of me. Four of Debussy’s études are based on a musical interval (the distance between two notes) from thirds to octaves, and he uses this simple concept to inspire a universe of ideas in each piece. As I returned to writing, I thought about distances in music, how they related to my distance to those on the other side of the windows, and to that conversation I had with my father years ago.

I’ve been honored to work with revolutionary freedom artist, singer, lyricist, poet, producer, and political organizer spiritchild for many years. His experience in hip-hop fusion and his ability to navigate changing time signatures has made him a perfect collaborator for ShoutHouse. When I was given the opportunity to develop “Orbits” into a large-scale work through the Voices of the New series, I brought the idea to spiritchild. He contributed a narrative arc to the piece through poems and emcee verses for each of the seven movements. I set each poem to be sung by the singers from Voices of Ascension and interwove his verses with their vocals.

Many thanks to Hai-Ting Chinn, Wesley Chinn, Dennis Keene, Liz Norman, and everyone at Voices of Ascension who believed in this project and made it possible. I want to thank them, spiritchild, the singers in Voices of Ascension, and the musicians in ShoutHouse for their inspired collaboration on Orbits; a project I couldn't have dreamed of organizing on my own.

From spritchild:

1- genesis of self (how do I know)

the contemplation of being birthed from the cosmos/planets from the spiritual to the physical form. 

the acceptance and awareness the body being a shell and a portal to channel temples. 

2- you’ve become, breathing 

the becoming awareness of the journey ahead and the gift of presence embodied in our natural selves.

the foreshadowing of humxn existence from our conception entering the beatitude of mxnifest destiny.

3- interdimensional

the quiet space before interruption. the vacant vortex of validation.

4- mapping planets / from organ eyes to digital eyes

the interruption. the dotted connection/disconnection of technology and what’s to come. the daydream state of illusive control. 

5- too many i’s

the societal reflections of you/us and the world around you/us. the confrontation and conflicts of being in a state of insecurities securing ego. 

6- hieroglitch

the glitch in hieroglyphics that transports the mind body and soul state. the kinetic frenetic unveiling of a symbiotic truth beyond nature. the natural disorders.

7- submerging / all in

the beginning of anew evolution. the reemergence of faith. the conclusion that there is more to venture orbiting beyond the unknown (x).