Queer-Specific Archives - Bluedog Music

Tom and Dean

g.gurss — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 18:00:55 +0000

Original Works

Details:

Text: Dean Schlaak, Tom Degree, composer

Voicing: TTBB, youth soloist

Theme: Queer-Specific

Orchestration: Piano, acoustic guitar

About:

Tom and Dean are a Twin Cities couple who have been together since the year 2000. In 2019, Tom was involved in a critical car accident, after which, he spent six weeks in the hospital recovering from serious internal and external injuries. Tom would wake up to the news that his right leg was amputated below the knee. But with his husband, Dean, by his side, Tom made a successful recovery and is adjusting well to life in a somewhat-different body.

Recently, I sat down with Tom and Dean at a local diner where they shared their story with me. From their words, I was inspired to write this piece — based on their perseverance, the strength of their hope, and of course, their love for each other. Because of his reckless courage (akin to that of a child who has not yet learned that life comes with limitations), Tom is portrayed by his younger self. Dean’s story is told in the present.

Listen:

To purchase:

Please contact me to purchase this piece!

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Stigmata

g.gurss — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 16:53:33 +0000

Prologue
Text from composer

What If Monsters
Text — Composer and anonymous member of TCGMC.
About — After receiving a positive HIV diagnosis, the “what ifs’ arrive. This movement explores them using the metaphor of being haunted as if they were a child’s monsters who live under the bed.

Crucifixus
Text — M. Wilberg.
Translation — crucifixus: crucified/pierced
About — Ms. Wilberg is a woman whose husband was imprisoned, got HIV, and transmitted to her. Her in-laws would not accept her and forced their son to kick her out of the house. She now works for an HIV/AIDS housing nonprofit.

Vinea mea electa
Text — Francisco Martins (1628-1680)
Translation — O vineyard, my chosen one. I planted thee. How is thy sweetness turned into Bitterness. O crucify me and take Barabbas in my place? I protected thee.
About — Work inspired by the Lenten motet by Poulenc. Drawing from more crucifixion imagery, the piece is about how queer folk can turn on other queer folk so quickly once they learn they are HIV positive. The same people fighting to work for equality and justice are then spat upon and degraded by their own. It is the worst betrayal.

Hallelujah, I’m Clean!
Text — Composer
About — This hoe-down is a satire of the ugliness found in communications inside gay dating apps. Many times, one can read, “clean only,” or be asked, “Are you clean?” While that question can be broad – wanting to know that the person with whom they desire to have intimate relations is free of STIs, it generally refers to asking if the person is HIV negative. The notion of clean implies the other: dirty, as if there was an entire untouchable caste system class reserved for those who are HIV positive. As the song states, “some folks are just plain stupid.”

Clara’s Song (Earth’s Loveliness)
Text — Tim Seelig and Michelangelo
About — Corianna Seelig-Gustafson (1977-2018) was an ally who had a passion for erasing HIV stigma. She loved every person and was not afraid to hug them, when they needed human touch. Her daughter is Clara. The song is sung about Corianna form the perspective of Clara. Clara’s grandfather is Tim Seelig, a prominent figure in American choral music. Seelig has worked hard to erase HIV stigma through his openness about his own status from the podium to audiences everywhere.

15 Minutes
Text — Composer and David Anderson (TCGMC member)
About — Many gay men of a certain age can tell you about the 2-week wait time between getting tested and receiving the result. Those two weeks were agonizing and made you question your worth as a gay man. The fear and shame would haunt you into disability. Today, one can learn their status in 15 minutes or less. That convenience can be a contributing factor to more people getting tested. Testing leads to awareness and knowledge. With knowledge comes faster medical response which can prevent people form developing AIDS. This movement is not only about advocacy but also about what happens when someone finds out they are HIV+.

And I Believe
Text — Christopher Harris (StoryCorps) and the composer
About — Oddly, this last movement was written first. It was a stand-alone piece written for TCGMC to commemorate World AIDS Day in 2028. Upon finishing this movement, I knew I wanted to begin the quest to write the larger work, Stigmata. As is my admittedly dangerous tradition, I listen to NPR’s StoryCorps every Friday morning – sometimes right before going into the gym, which is awkward, because one cannot go into the gym crying. I heard Christopher’s story, and I was overcome with sadness for this man who lived in a time when receiving a positive HIV diagnosis was a death sentence. I was also worried that an entire new generation of gay men would never know the cost of their sexuality in a different time and how much people today take for granted medications like “Prep.” Finally, I was moved by how Christopher’s painful experience was used in a touching story to help others learn and feel less alone.

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Bridges

g.gurss — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 22:43:27 +0000

Arrangement

Details:

Text: Calum Scott

Voicing: TTBB

Theme: Secular, queer-specific

Orchestration: TTBB, piano

About:

A powerful anti-suicide ballad. Contact me for sting parts.

To purchase:

Please click here to purchase this piece!

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Silent Night, Maiden

g.gurss — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 22:27:36 +0000

Original Work

Details:

Text: Composer

Voicing: SATB

Theme: Sacred, secular, holiday, queer-specific

Orchestration: SATB, piano

About:

This was written shortly after a pastor at a church in Maiden, NC went on a viral rant of hate speech in 2012, where he invited children to the front of the church to join in the slanderous rant against LGBTQ people.

To purchase:

Please contact me to purchase this piece!

The post Silent Night, Maiden appeared first on Bluedog Music.

Chris and Gabe

g.gurss — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 23:23:03 +0000

Original Work

Details:

Text: Chris and Gabe Lopez, composer

Voicing: SATB

Theme: Secular, Queer-Specific

Orchestration: A cappella

About:

This work was commissioned by Ethan Sperry and the Portland State University choirs as part of a concert that explored gender identity. When I was little, my mom would always end phone conversations with, “I love you,” which of course invited the more/most add-ons.

Listen:

To purchase:

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At The Heart

g.gurss — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 23:13:05 +0000

The post At The Heart appeared first on Bluedog Music.

Over the Rainbow

g.gurss — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 22:54:55 +0000

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Glenda & Lauree

g.gurss — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 21:25:31 +0000

Original Work

Details:

Text: Glenda Elliott

Voicing: SATB (TTBB and SSAA versions available)

Theme: Secular, queer-specific

Orchestration: SATB, piano, mezzo solo

About:

One evening in the fall of 2015, I was driving home from school and listening to NPR’s StoryCorps. A woman named Glenda began telling the story of how she and Lauree met at a time in American history when the love of two people of the same sex was not accepted by society. As the story unraveled, I genuinely felt Glenda’s love for Lauree. Glenda reveals that she and Lauree never got to have their happily ever after because Lauree was taken by cancer. Most stories would focus on that grief; however, Glenda tells, “I don’t regret at all, all the time we shared. It’s where I learned to love and to be loved.” The power of that story brought me to tears. Thank God it was dark.

I immediately started setting the transcription of her story to music. When I called Glenda to ask her permission, she graciously said yes. I said, “Thank you so much, because I already wrote it!” From that moment, Glenda and I have shared a great bond of friendship. After hearing its performance at the GALA Chorus Festival in Denver in 2016, Glenda gave me a huge hug and whispered in my ear, “Thank you. You brought Lauree back to me.” Glenda and I remain friends to this day.

Listen:

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To purchase:

Please click here to purchase this piece!

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2 Gay Animal Jokes

g.gurss — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 19:29:50 +0000

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