Wanna hear more of Melissa's words?

Check out Melissa's profile on NewMusicBox's cover!

Photography by Molly Sheridan for NewMusicBox

Hi! This is not Melissa! This is Claris, Melissa's new assistant! I'm here to help her during these, frankly, bananas time.

This week, an interview that Melissa did back in March was published as the cover feature for NewMusicBox! In it, she talks about her composition work and its roots in social justice, and, of course, sweating copper pipe and archaeology. Go check it out!

New Releases of Music

June also brings a ton of new music in a variety of forms on a variety of different platforms:

LISTEN: In February, Portland’s Resonance Ensemble commissioned and premiered LISTEN: a two-movement SSAA choral work that sets testimony from Anita Hill in 1991 and Christine Blasey Ford in 2018. After two sold-out performances and a successful Kickstarter for the recording, the score is now available for free download on Melissa's website

Look out for the release of the album later this month, and keep tabs by clicking the link to the Kickstarter!

A set of SATB songs Suite Remembrance, originally written for the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus, has been published by EC Shirmer and is now available in their Fall 2019 School/Concert catalog:

A link to the recording of the fourth movement, Mourning into Dancing, is below!

And last, but not least, in a departure from the norm, Melissa recently arranged a Bob Dylan song: Farewell Angelina was written for soprano Elise Brancheau and is for voice and viola. It’s been cleared by Dylan’s representatives and is available for sale on SheetMusicPlus.

E.C. Schirmer, Archival live recording by the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus, Philip Barnes, Director; first studio recording issued on Regent Records, 2020.

Upcoming Concerts

June also has Melissa and Melissa's music travelling all over!! Melissa still hasn't quite figured out how to create multiple versions of herself to be in all these places at once, so if you can go in her stead, please click on the links for tickets!

- American DREAMers makes it overseas for the first time -- it will be performed by Ex Ore Equi at a June 8th concert in the UK.

- Treble choir, Vox Femina, are performing Wild Embers June 8th in LA

- Come, My Tan-Faced Children, which was premiered by Lyric Fest last month was arranged for mezzo and string orchestra and will be performed by the Brooklyn Metro Chamber Orchestra on June 9th

Photo by Don Valentino

Puppetry Conference performances June 14th and 15th at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Connecticut: Melissa will be performing along with Matt Dunphy and other musicians for puppetry works created during the 8-day conference.
Photo by Richard Termine

Other Upcoming Events

Melissa and fellow composer Kala Pierson are sharing an exhibitor table at the 2019 Chorus America national conference in Philadelphia at the end of this month. If you’re coming to the conference, stop by for scores, recordings, and to say hello: https://www.chorusamerica.org/conf2019

Additionally, if you haven't checked it out yet, check out The Boghouse, Melissa and Matt's podcast about the centuries old - well - boghouses underneath their home. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. Episode 19 was a really exciting Q+A, but if you're starting the podcast today, don't skip ahead! Thank you to everyone who is already listening!