Soul Suite No. 1 (2023)

difficulty: hard

duration: ca. 13’

instrumentation: wind ensemble

Throughout Soul Suite No. 1, you will encounter figures that are idiomatic of many musical settings, from the western classical music realm, the southern hip-hop production scene, spirituals, as well as elements of gospel and r&b. Specifically from the production side, you will hear moments of distortion, reverb, timpani as 808 drums, trap hi hats, and even a trombone soli in the style of a rap verse. This piece serves as the first installment in a series of compositions which I will create and dedicate to regions of the world honoring cultural staples and historical phenomena within the African diaspora.

The words Soul Suite are an expression that I have used to describe the hip -hop production technique called the “beat switch” where the producer or DJ switches the beat from the current feel to another, within the same track or song. The new feel can be unrelated or related. The transition can be subtle and smoothly executed or jolting and unexpected. Justification for how the switch may occur, and what it contains can range from a stylistic preference to something as fickle as how the composer feels that day. The Soul Suite is also what I have come to call my own compositional technique.