World Premiere: “Born on the 4th of July” by Queen Drea

Queen Drea is a sound alchemist, mixing sonic potions laced with looped vocals, jagged rhythms, and found sounds. Her project Born on the 4th of July is supported, in part, by American Composers Forum’s Recomposing America project.

Born on the 4th of July examines the impact of the Great Migration through the lens of Queen Drea’s mother, a Black woman born in Mississippi in the 1940s who migrated through Chicago to Minnesota. The project provides a unique and creative way to explore the history and experiences of a Black family who received their 40 acres and a mule, while also celebrating the rich culture and heritage of the American South. Born on the 4th of July will include a visual album in the form of an audio comic book, and a movie that is scored with original music.

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Recomposing America is a multi-year initiative led by American Composers Forum that highlights artistic perspectives unique to the United States and the broader Americas through direct commissions, institutional collaborations, and public dialogue. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Recomposing America aims to refresh and reimagine the “who,” “what,” and “why” of the United States, and the stories therein.