r(E)volution by Armond Vance | Performed by The Toledo Symphony

I wrote this piece you’re hearing in 2020 to commemorate Elijah MCClain. A 23 year old black man murdered by the police in Colorado last year. Elijah was a massage therapist and also played violin for stray cats. I was also attempting to capture the momentum of the BLM protests in writing this piece. It tears me up to hear this piece come to life (thank you Toledo Symphony 🙏🏾)because of what it represents and because of my personal experiences as a black man in the United States and the adversity I overcame to be able to even write this and have it performed by a professional orchestra. This piece symbolizes resilience, anger, betrayal, pride, sadness, and celebration. I quote the negro spiritual “go down Moses” because in some ways our people are still enchained in both a mental and literal sense. Despite odds though, I do see a brighter future. are stronger than diamonds. We are alchemists, turning everything we touch into gold. We can do ANYTHING and survive anything. The revolution goes on. ✊🏾