Love into Concrete (2018)
Whenever someone is killed by violence in Baltimore City, an organization called Baltimore Ceasefire invites people to gather at the site of the murder for a Sacred Space Ritual. Led by Ceasefire co-founder Erricka Bridgeford, these are not vigils, but “a way to put love & light into the place where our Sister was taken by violence…to make it sacred ground.” Love into Concrete is my musical response to the experience of a Sacred Space Ritual. The title was inspired by Bridgeford, who describes the communal act as "pouring love into the murder spot" or "pour[ing] light into the concrete."
Love into Concrete was commissioned by Lior Willinger, with support from the Presser Foundation. The work is dedicated to Erricka Bridgeford and Baltimore Ceasefire.