All Your Thens for Now

SOLO SPEAKER-PERCUSSIONIST

All Your Thens for Now is a series of loosely-connected stream-of-consciousness dream-variations on Charles Mingus’ Self-Portrait in Three Colors (from Mingus Ah Um), which act as a musical commentary on Tim Davis’ essay The Ladies’ Tee. The percussionist-speaker takes on the role of a photographer, trying to capture moments and images for preservation and posterity while the music and rambling, disjointed text assert their ephemerality and transience.

All Your Thens for Now was commissioned by Abby Fisher and Alexv Rolfe and supported by a consortium of percussionists from throughout North America. Thank you to Sue Mingus for permission to arrange Self-Portrait in Three Colors and to Tim Davis.

Please send me an email if you are interested in the score and performance materials for All Your Thens for Now.