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You Are Jeff, Op. 162 (2024)

For Tenor and Piano

Score Video:

Perusal Score:

Duration: 40'30"

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Program Notes:

Following the release of "Stranger Things 4", I saw the final stanza of Richard Siken's poem "You Are Jeff" pop up a lot. The poem resonated deeply with me, but it took me a while to realize that it was from a larger collection and not a complete work in and of itself. As a whole, the poem strikes that delicate balance between clarity and obscurity, weaving a web of images and allusions that never quite resolves into total coherency but nevertheless speaks deeply to me, and in particular to my experiences as a member of the queer community.

This setting was written with my friends Alex Nick and Joey Thompson in mind.