Order includes a digital download of PDF parts for contrabass tuba, bass tuba, euphonium, and a performance track.

Instrumentation: tuba, loop pedal, and produced track

Duration: 6’ 54”

Program Notes: Vairo Boulevard (2023) was commissioned by Gretchen Renshaw James, my college roommate and tuba studio mate at Penn State University. The piece begins as a snapshot of Gretchen and I talking on our balcony as the sun sets and pays tribute to the stages of coming out and finding yourself. At first, the piece is introspective and self-searching, followed by pride and confidence in who you are; we then navigate through the excitement and complexity of queer relationships and finally gather at a place that feels self-assured and hopeful for the future. Vairo Boulevard explores sounds and genres created by or heavily influenced by queer Black folks. For many, this music (the club) is where they met their first love. This music saves lives, comforts folks in times of joy and pain, and serves as a gathering space for the community. 

Commissioned by Gretchen Renshaw James, Nancy and Craig Wood Odyssey Associate Professor of Music, Hendrix College.