Salutations

Greetings.

Hello.

Hi.

Hey.

Yo.

Ayo.

These terms along with countless others have been used to greet people throughout history.

However the term "AYO" is different.

Rooted from hip hop and jazz culture, AYO is built in the black language. It's used to tell when something is right, when something is wrong, when something is awesome, and when something is too sweet for words. It's use is seen with your closest people, your family, or people who know you best. It's personal. In short "AYO" is a personal embrace that can represents life.With this piece I wanted to build the kind of embrace you would get from this word alone while also honoring its beginnings- using hip hop rhythms and colorful harmonies. By the end of the piece, we the listeners go from uncertainty to home; and with the uniqueness of the piece, we in turn celebrate not only a word like AYO but also celebrate life.

PREMIERE: December 2022