Album: America Will Be
Artist: Tonality & Alexander Lloyd Blake
Record Label: Aerocade Music
Catalog No.: AM013
UPC: 198002008633
Release date: August 20, 2021
Format: Digital and CD
Buy/stream:
Bandcamp | Apple Music/iTunes | Amazon Music | Spotify | Tidal
CREDITS
Conductor: Alexander Lloyd Blake
Vocalists: Tehillah Alphonso, Saunder Choi, Adam Faruqi, Gregory Fletcher, Katharina Haberl, Jyvonne Haskin, Todd Honeycutt, Jarrett Johnson, Jen Haydn Jones, Aaron Jung, Gaayatri Kaundinya, Arie Lugo, Vera Lugo, David Morales, Gracie Laboy, Ben Lin, Ian Gabriel Luna, Sara Mann, Tonoccus McClain, Caroline McKenzie, Amanda Mello, Michael Miersma, Anthony Moreno, Molly Pease, Hannah Penzner, Meredith Pyle, Edmond Rodriguez, Christopher Roney, Malek Sammour, Jaquain Sloan, Valerie Tambaoan, Becca Tomasko, Chloe Vaught, Greg Whipple
Instrumentalists: Mia Barcia-Colombo, Caitlin Edwards, Drew Forde, Theo Lee, Aiko Richter, Shawn Kirchner
Produced by Alexander Lloyd Blake, Jett Galindo, Joseph Trapanese
Engineered by: Jett Galindo, Joseph Trapanese. (Track 12 engineered by Ryan Jones, Jett Galindo, Joseph Trapanese)
Mastering engineer: Jett Galindo
Artwork: Nicole Vettraino
Copyright 2021 Tonality and Aerocade Music.
America Will Be
by Tonality & Alexander Lloyd Blake
America Will Be was created in the midst of the global pandemic of 2020. As many people began a new way of life sequestered in their homes, attention and awareness of our surroundings became heightened. For many, some of the issues around inequality and injustice in the United States were placed in a global spotlight. As the world paused, we were forced to reconsider the America that we had been taught and look at the America we have been for too many. Black Lives Matter, the criminal justice system, immigration, climate change, LGBTQ rights, mental health were some of the many topics that rose to a new consciousness.
The music on America Will Be looks to speak directly to the injustices that have yet to be labeled. As Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated: “There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” America Will Be speaks to issues that have been quieted in our attempt to portray the United States as a beacon of opportunity. In styles as diverse as the topics, this music brings voice to the most vulnerable - to lift them up, to reflect on the reality of our society, and to sing about peace and unity. Through our song, we look toward a more perfect union for ourselves and future generations.
ABOUT THE SONGS
Declaration
(Music by Alexander Lloyd Blake and Joseph Trapanese)
Declaration overlaps statements of hope that accompany each composition. The blended voices represent a collective dream of a true American freedom that serves all within its borders.
1232 Lyfe
(Words and Music by Alexander Lloyd Blake)
1232 Lyfe seeks to address the grave reality of inmates who are currently serving life sentences for nonviolent crimes. Created with a hocket rhythm, the intentional layered effect is an artistic nod towards the anxious, chaotic environment of a broken prison system that many innocent people are thrown into.
in this house - Immigration
(Music by Cristian Larios, Words by Cristian Larios and the ‘Know and Exercise Your Rights’ presentation of The Chicago Legal Protection Fund Community Navigator Fund)
This composition is a pointed take on the immigration policy, speaking directly to the rights of those who have been labeled negatively due to their citizenship status. Where some see “illegals” and “aliens”, we choose to see workers, innovators, and dreamers.
Tulips - Mental Health Awareness/ De-stigmatization
(Music by Shawn Kirchner, Words by Sylvia Plath)
Sylvia Plath’s poem, written during a brief stay in a hospital after an appendectomy, is passionately brought to life in Kirchner’s composition. Beautifully set in a contemporary singer-songwriter fashion, the soloist and ensemble’s interactions portray the peaceful vision of flowers against her strong desire to resist any reminders of liveliness.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
(Words and Music by Paul Simon, arr. Nathan Heldman)
In our best light, America is a place where we continue to work for the most vulnerable people in our community. Heldman’s pop-style rendition of this Simon & Garfunkel piece offers a nice groove and a diverse style for the album.
The New Collective Consciousness - Climate Change
I. We Know
II. How Dare You
(Music by Joseph Trapanese, Words by Andri Snœr Magnason and Greta Thunberg)
This composition references text from a plaque on the ground, located near the formal glacier Okjökull, Iceland and and the words of Greta Thunberg’s speech to the United Nations. The slow-moving harmonic movements in the composition symbolizes the gradual melting of the glaciers in a poignant message about the havoc we are causing our planet.
Build Me Up (Featuring Roman GianArthur) - Black Lives Matter
(Words and Music by Roman GianArthur)
While this song was written before the Black Lives Matter movement rose to global awareness, this song’s plea to “see” the humanity and beauty within the Black community is strongly felt within this upbeat song by Roman GianArthur.
Little Rose - Mother's Protection
(Words and Music by Shawn Kirchner)
Kirchner’s composition, originally written for the treble vocal ensemble Lorelei, has been re-arranged for mixed voices. Both images of nature and themes from African-American spirituals help convey the strength of one’s community to protect their young.
A Change is Gonna Come
(Words and Music by Sam Cooke, arr. Tehillah Alphonso)
[Tehillah Alphonso, GRAMMY® Nominee: Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for “A Change is Gonna Come” from “America Will Be” by Tonality & Alexander Lloyd Blake]
Alphonso’s GRAMMY® nominated arrangement gives a spin on the iconic Sam Cooke original composition. Turning the more contemplative 6/8 feel into 4/4 time, this arrangement reflects the hope and positive look towards the future that was felt among many during the 2021 national inauguration.
No Child - LGBTQ Acceptance
(Words and Music by Alex Wurman)
Wurman’s music beautifully narrates a young person’s journey through feelings of shame, their inner struggle, and path to self-acceptance. The wonderful harmonies and the performances of the two soloists highlight the nuanced emotions that arise in this experience.
America Will Be! - A Place for Everyone
(Music by Joel Thompson, Words by Langston Hughes, Emma Lazarus, and students of Freedom High School Chorus of Orlando, FL)
Thompson was commissioned to write this work for Freedom High School; the diversity of languages represented in the choir is woven into the text. The text itself speaks to a land that is meant to be a symbol of freedom and acceptance for all who come to its shores.
#UnitedWeDream - Belonging
(Music by Melissa Dunphy, Words by Claudia D. Hernandez)
This movement is excerpted from Dunphy’s larger work American DREAMers in response to the anti-immigrant rhetoric, which gained more traction during the 2016 national election. A simple message of belonging is reflected in the simplistic style of the movement.
ABOUT TONALITY and ALEXANDER LLOYD BLAKE
Established in 2016, Tonality is an award winning ensemble known for “open hearted singing” (Lauri’s List). Tonality’s most recent award is the 2020 Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, a prize given for commitment to singing and commissioning new works. Tonality is led by founder and Artistic Director Alexander Lloyd Blake. Blake imagined Tonality as an ensemble that represents the diverse cultures and ethnicities within the Los Angeles area. Within a year of its forming, Tonality’s mission evolved to use their collective voices to present concerts on themes of social justice in hopes to act as a catalyst toward empathy and community activism. The group premiered its first album in 2019 titled Sing About It.
Tonality is best known for creating choral concerts that focus on issues rarely presented in choral music. Concerts themes have included gun violence, homelessness, refugees, climate change, mental health, women’s rights, and exercising democratic rights.
Website: ourtonality.org
Dr. Alexander Lloyd Blake works as an award-winning conductor, composer/arranger, vocal contractor, singer, and music activist. Named Musical America’s 30 Professionals of the Year in 2019 and the Louis Botto Award for Innovative actions and Entrepreneurial Zeal from Chorus America, Blake was recently featured in both the NY Times and LA Times for work in diversity and anti-racism within classical music.
Blake is the Founding Artistic Director of Tonality, an award-winning choral ensemble focused on spreading a message of unity, peace, and social justice through a culturally diverse choral setting. He also serves as the Choir Director at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA). He also serves in Los Angeles and New York City as a Principal Associate Conductor of the National Children’s Chorus. As an arranger, Blake’s “Wade in the Water” was a featured arrangement at the North Carolina Music Educators Association convention in 2013 and is published with Santa Barbara Music Publishing. His arrangements of “Deep River” and “Poor Wayfaring Stranger” are published by Alliance Music Publishing and Walton Music Publishing, respectively. Other musical activities include an opera conducting premiere at the 2019 Prototype Festival in New York City and preparing choirs for live performances with UCLA Center for the Art of Performance.
Recent film and TV credits include singing on the soundtrack of Jordan Peele’s “Us”, Disney’s “Lion King”, and Pixar’s “Spies in Disguise.” Blake also worked as the choral contractor and vocal arranger for Andy Grammer’s performance at the 2019 ARDYs (Radio Disney Awards). Blake recently prepared singers for the 2020 Grammy Awards and performed at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Blake completed the Doctorate in Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern California in 2019. He completed the Master of Music degree at the University of California Los Angeles in 2014 and the Bachelor of Arts degree (cum laude) in Vocal Performance at Wake Forest University in 2010.
Website: alexanderlblake.com