Identity, Diversity, American History, Self-Expression, *New Michael Bussewitz-Quarm Identity, Diversity, American History, Self-Expression, *New Michael Bussewitz-Quarm

Hair (Where We Find Ourselves)

The second movement from Where We Find Ourselves, this piece is about the manipulation of hair and the conformity or nonconformity of following hair "rules." This selection is built on repetitive rhythms with some vocally percussive consonants that mimic the pushing and pulling of hair.

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I’m Not Lost

Native American women are more likely to be abducted, assaulted, and murdered than any other population group, and the perpetrators are rarely charged or convicted. Through the MMIWG (Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls) movement, a light has been cast upon this form of genocide. “I’m Not Lost” includes Native words and phrases from across North America: Abenaki, Odawa/Ojibwe, Lakota, and Navajo/Diné. Each verse cries out for missing mothers, daughters, sisters, and Two Spirit (transgender) loved ones. The performance of “I’m Not Lost” is more than the singing of a song; it is an expression of longing and grief for those whose voices have been silenced.

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