Tom and Dean

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.

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