Projects
Fabric of Our Nation
- The Life & Labor of Elizabeth Keckly
A new musical about legacy, labor, and the cost of making history
She stitched dresses for the First Lady of a fractured nation — and sewed herself into the seams of American history. Fabric of Our Nation is a soul-stirring new musical that weaves together gospel, blues, historical testimony, and contemporary spoken word to tell the story of Elizabeth Keckly: formerly enslaved, fiercely dignified, brilliantly talented dressmaker to Mary Todd Lincoln.
Through the threads of fashion and friendship of fragile conditions, Keckly and Lincoln form a bond shaped by the violence of grief, power, race, and impossible expectation — revealing the often invisible labor of Black women whose artistry and strength have upheld empires.
This is not just a story of “then.” By moving between past and present, we reveal how the racial divide — between Black and white, power and powerlessness, seen and unseen — still cuts deep today. It’s about the threads that tie us together as Americans, and what happens when they start to unravel...
Come sit with us. There’s plenty good room.
Commissioned by CAAPA and co-written and performed by Shana Oshiro, Erin Ridge, and Edmond Charles.
In Search of the Silent Land
My concept recital/one woman show, In Search of the Silent Land, was inspired by Martin Laird’s meditation book “Into the Silent Land - the Practice of Contemplation”. In today’s vortex of constant distraction, this one-of-a-kind recital experience cuts through the noise by exploring the individual’s journey to finding inner peace through a mixture of classic and contemporary art song. As a guided meditation between artist and audience - this experience can be adapted to contemplative art exhibits, church book clubs, as well as a wide variety of meditative communities.
The Last Rose of Summer
The Last Rose of Summer is a recital shaped by the mood of a late summer evening—languid, dusky, and bittersweet. Inspired by nature’s beauty and impermanence, the program explores themes of love and loss through poetry and song, with imagery of flowers, twilight, and fleeting moments.
We open with Saint-Saëns’ La Libellule, portraying the dragonfly as a symbol of strength and grace, and journey through French chansons, Clara Schumann’s romantic lieder, modern Scottish reimaginings by Thea Musgrave, and finally, the passionate Canciones Amatorias of Granados. This program reflects on beauty in transition—the way love, longing, and memory linger in the air, just like the last rose of summer.
This recital was presented on August 11th, 2024 as part of the Cardella Salon Series.
DC Metrobus Sonnets
The bus, for me, is a sacred space, a shared liturgy with my fellow city dwellers… To choose to ride the bus, is to choose to slow down, to sit by your neighbor, to take a moment and exist together.
Inspired by my enthusiasm for the Metrobus, I have committed myself to exploring each individual bus line in DC, and writing stream-of-conscious poetry sparked by my experiences. These poems will be curated into a collection representing each DC quadrant which will consequently be set to music and performed as an art song cycle.
Demystifing Opera
What comes to mind when you hear the word “opera”?
Opera newbies to aficionados alike are welcome as we debunk popular opera myths, cultivate a foundational understanding of opera’s rich history, and finally explore form and structure through one of the time-honored staples of the operatic cannon - Puccini’s La bohème.
This lecture is available for any group looking for a fun, interactive “Opera 101” event.
Art Song Meditation
….These Flower Walks reminded me… to seek out and appreciate everyday beauty and enjoy these meditative moments as gifts from the Creator.
I have selected pieces from my collection of nature photography and paired them with snippets of my favorite classical songs to create what I have been calling art song meditation. I hope you enjoy these moments of reflection on beauty and that they bring you peace.