Darius Edwards
(for concert band)
Curriculum guide by Alexis Peart
Castle of Our Skins | Boston Public Schools Collection
Purchase includes transposed score, parts and curriculum guide
Proceeds from this sale support Castle of our Skins education programs and Rising Tide Music & Arts composer pathway projects.
 
From the composer:
In My Skin is a look into my own experiences as someone who is both black and
queer. It is also a celebration of intersecting identities that make up who I am
and many others that are just like me. People with multiple intersecting
identities have a higher risk of developing mental illnesses and also have a
higher chance of experiencing violence due to biases, systemic barriers,
stigmas, and lack of access to adequate resources.
 
A unique issue that I have experienced because of my intersections is tokenism.
There was a commission that I was asked to do a few years ago regarding the
murder of a black man just months prior. While initially honored to be asked to
create an original work surrounding such a major event, I declined to do it
because I did not want to relive the trauma of seeing someone like me being
murdered by the same people we're supposed to call in case of emergency.
When asked why I declined, I explained why it is unethical to even think of
asking one of your only black student composers to relive such a traumatic
event, regardless of intent. I know that person has a good heart and good
intentions in mind so I did not take offense to their questions at all.
 
Another thing I would like to share is that I did not learn what the term
microaggression meant until I got to college. For those unfamiliar, a
microaggression is defined as a subtle act of discrimination toward a minority. It
is subtle enough to make you question yourself, yet audacious enough to make
you think twice about what was just said or done to you. At the time, my school
had also been among the top most unfriendly universities to their LGBTQ+
students. I'm sure you can start to picture how students like me felt every day.
This is just one example of how our intersections play such a major part in our
lives. Despite all adversities that I felt and experienced, I shared my coming out
story and overall perspective with news stations around the city. Of course, I
heard and read the nasty comments that people make, but I also cherished the
words of my loved ones in my community. We cannot and will NOT be
intimidated into erasure.
 
Visibility and representation are incredibly important to me because we need to
SEE that people that look and act just like us can be successful. It is my hope to
bring light to the lives that many black and queer musicians like myself live,
especially for the generations coming up behind me.
 
- Darius Edwards