ORIGINAL VERSION DETAILS

COMMISSIONED BY: The Kneel Consortium, led by Rachel Maxwell, Josh Johnson, and the Traughter Junior High School Band

CONSORTIUM MEMBERS

Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, IL
Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL
Antioch Upper Grade School, Antioch, IL
Batavia High School, Batavia, IL
Bednarcik Junior High School, Oswego, IL
Bloomington Junior High School, Bloomington, IL
Bullard High School, Fresno, CA
Cardinal Heights Upper Middle School, Sun Prairie, WI
Cienega High School, Vail, AZ
Clovis West High School, Fresno, CA
Crestdale Middle School, Matthews, NC
Crystal Lake South High School, Crystal Lake, IL
Dirksen Junior High School, Joliet, IL
Downers Grove North High School, Downers Grove, IL
Downers Grove South High School, Downers Grove, IL
Dripping Springs High School, Dripping Springs, TX
Dripping Springs Middle School, Dripping Springs, TX
Elmhurst University, Elmhurst, IL
Elmwood Park High School, Elmwood Park, IL
Evanston Township High School, Evanston, IL
Freeburg Community High School, Freeburg, IL
Genoa-Kingston High School, Genoa, IL
Glenbard East High School, Lombard, IL
Glenbrook North High School, Northbrook, IL
Gompers Junior High, Joliet, IL
Herget Middle School, Aurora, IL
Heritage Grove Middle School, Plainfield, IL
Hinsdale Middle School, Hinsdale, IL
Hoffman Estates High School, Hoffman Estates, IL
Hufford Junior High School, Joliet, IL
Huntley High School, Huntley, IL
Illinois State University Symphonic Band, Normal, IL
Indiana Bandmasters Association, IN
James Campbell High School, Ewa Beach, HI
John F. Kennedy Middle School, Plainfield, IL
Joliet Central High School, Joliet, IL
Joliet West High School, Joliet, IL
Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, MO
Lakes Community High School, Lake Villa, IL
Lakeside Pride Symphonic Band, Chicago, IL Libertyville HS, Libertyville, IL
MacArthur Middle School, Prospect Heights, IL
McHenry High School, McHenry, IL
Metea Valley High School, Aurora, IL
Kromrey Middle School, Middleton, WI
Mound Westonka High School, Minnetrista, MN
Murphy Jr. High School, Plainfield, IL
Naperville North High School, Naperville, IL
Nazareth Academy, La Grange Park, IL

PROGRAM NOTES

To Right Our Wrongs aims to reflect on the complex, multi-faceted impact that privilege has on the American experience, and on the way that disparities of privilege play a role in both the fight for and prevention of social and systemic equality and equity. There is an extensive history of vast systemic violence and injustice towards women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other minority groups in the United States. Those who are not a part of these communities and, thus, have not experienced these communities' discrimination are privileged; if they know about the injustices of our country, it is most likely because they have learned from others. But members of these communities must both learn from others and live these injustices. Additionally, this societal privilege is not binary. It is intersectional, meaning that different people experience different amounts of privilege based on the communities they are a part of. A white, cisgender woman is privileged in the sense that she is both white and cisgender; however, she does not have the privilege that men have. A transgender, disabled man does have that privilege; but he, in turn, does not have the privilege held by those who are cisgender or able-bodied. This complex role that privilege plays in the systemic discrimination of our country led me to the guiding questions of this work: What does it mean to work against the wrongdoings of our country's past and present? How can privilege be utilized for good? As those who hold privilege, what does it mean to right our wrongs?

A crucial part of the fight for true equality in our country is the utilization of privilege to make an impact on the system, which requires privileged people to be aware of and understand privilege and its meaning. As a privileged person myself in most primary ways privilege presents itself in America (I am white, male, cisgender, and able-bodied), there's probably little that I can say to those who do not experience these privileges that they have not already learned through their own experiences. I feel that the best thing I can do is to speak to those who are privileged like me, but who lack awareness or understanding of what this means. This work serves as an honest, encouraging, and emotionally vulnerable message to the privileged, without accusation or condescension. With it comes this message: If you are privileged, it is not an insult. It is not an accusation. It does not mean that you are bad, or that your life accomplishments are not valid. It does not mean that you haven't struggled or fought to get to where you are now. Having privilege simply means that you are part of a system that treats some people better than it treats others in many different ways, and you are one of the people who are treated better in one or more of those ways. This issue of privilege affects all of us, and we should all care. You can use the privilege you have, in any form, to support those who do not have it.

In addition to an original melody, To Right Our Wrongs respectfully utilizes The Star-Spangled Banner, the US national anthem, and Lift Every Voice and Sing, known to many as the African American national anthem, to reflect the varied and complicated nature of the American experience.

-program notes by Harrison J. Collins
—please credit Harrison J. Collins when reproducing these program notes in excerpts or in full

ABOUT THIS VERSION

Like Harrison, I am white, able-bodied, and privileged. The privilege that I possess protects me from a system that, in reality, is entirely unjust, unfair, discriminatory, and biased. Like Harrison, I will never truly understand what it is like to experience the horrifiying systemic racism, violence, and injustices that women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other minority groups in the United States have experienced. And, like Harrison, I've only begun to learn that, as a white American, I must acknowledge that there is a difference - that there are two different Americas, one which favors the privileged and one that has enacted centuries of systemically violent, racist, sexist, and misogynistic injustices.

To not acknowledge any of these things is grossly harmful, ignorant, and racist. To be silent is to be complicit.

One of Harrison's goals when composing To Right Our Wrongs was to use his platform and privilege to directly speak to other white Americans - to those with similar or equal privilege who are unaware of, or who have also not experienced, such disparities and injustices, as well as to those who have not even begun to acknowledge the differences in privilege and experience prevalent in this country. I approached this adaptable ensemble arrangement of To Right Our Wrongs with exactly the same goals in mind.

This version, arranged for 6 parts, is carefully curated from all of the musical resources Harrison originally created in collaboration with the project coordinators, advisors, and members of The Kneel Consortium. The intentions of the original version of the piece for symphonic band (including its optional choral music) have been preserved as much as possible. Additional (and optional) parts for keyboard synthesizers have also been created exclusively for this arrangement.

As an ally, I have so much to learn and a long way to go. I am still learning and always will be learning. It is therefore my goal, and hope, with this arrangement that more white Americans will begin to recognize the importance of not only speaking out against the inequalities and injustices prevalent in our society, but also recognize the importance and necessity of fighting for equitable, systemic change in our greater society.

My sincerest gratitude goes to Harrison, Rachel Maxwell, and Josh Johnson for the opportunity to create this adaptable ensemble version of To Right Our Wrongs for The Kneel Consortium.

-arranger’s notes by Josh Trentadue
—please credit Josh Trentadue when reproducing these arranger’s notes in excerpts or in full