It鈥檚 been five years since Northeast Ohio saxophonist Chris Coles first publicly workshopped what would become his multi-movement suite, 鈥�,鈥� in front of an audience at the Bop Stop. The piece originated as a tone poem, in which Coles put himself in the shoes of a churchgoer who witnessed the that claimed the lives of nine Black members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.
In 2017, Coles was awarded a grant for 鈥淣ine Lives Project鈥� and received $45,000 to start conversations on racial inequality and immerse the audience in the story behind the original work. He raised another $40,000 to turn the poem into a 40-minute performance piece.
Coles spoke with about the origins of the project, which was intended to heighten awareness of ongoing racial injustice in America after the Charleston shooting.
More than a year later, Coles and a team of musicians and artists have completed the project and recorded its four movements. Coles said the work has taken on a new meaning in light of the racial unrest and increased support for the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. Now, he said, his work celebrates the achievements and greatness of Black Americans, rather than solely mourning the nine Black lives lost.
鈥淭here鈥檚 far too little celebration of Black life. I don鈥檛 want to perpetuate what you see in the media of celebrating Black death and it just being like a commodity."Chris Coles
Working with local artists to expand his musical storyline
Coles said learning of the Charleston shooting victims and the lives claimed by a white supremacist was a turning point in his life. He said it was the first large-scale, racially motivated event he witnessed in his lifetime. It sparked an immediate sense of historical significance.
鈥淚 thought we were past that. I just felt compelled to write something,鈥� Coles said .
After initially debuting his piece at The Bop Stop, he gave a 15-minute performance at in Alberta, Canada. Coles collaborated with other local artists to turn his 鈥淣ine Lives鈥� workshopped piece into a four-movement suite.
Akron-area composer and bandleader Sam Blakeslee, animator Hannah Taddeo, a group of hip-hop dancers and emcee Jul Big Green have played integral roles in shaping each of the project鈥檚 movements. Northeast Ohio jazz musicians were called to perform, including pianist Theron Brown, trombonist Christopher Anderson, trumpeter Tommy Lehman, bassist Dave Morgan, Bobby Selvaggio on alto sax, Zaire Darden on drums and Emily Laycock on vocals. Coles plays tenor sax. Coles and his collaborators debuted the full project at the in 2019.
A discussion was held after the performance that invited the audience and players to offer suggestions on what the community can do to prevent violent, racially motivated incidents from happening in the area.
Turning a pivotal moment into movements
鈥淭he way we kind of set it up is that we have an opening section. We call it 鈥�400 Years (And I still Have Joy in My Soul),鈥欌�� Coles said.
The opening is followed by 鈥淣ine Lives,鈥� which features accompanying animation that calls attention to Clementa C. Pinckney, Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, Depayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel L. Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton and Myra Thompson, who were killed in the Charleston shooting.
鈥淚n Spite of You We Rise鈥� is the third movement, which captures the project鈥檚 more celebratory tone.
鈥淸This project] has changed me a lot. The last piece, we call it 鈥楴ew Birth,鈥� and the reason why is for that very reason,鈥� Coles said. 鈥淚 wrote it, so the way the music affects me is that now, these people, I鈥檓 connected to them. The goal is to try to live life in the way in which I honor them. And if I鈥檓 gonna live that way, we gotta change some stuff. The only way is forward. And I want to be a force for good.鈥�
Changing the narrative about Black victims
The 鈥�Nine Lives Project鈥� performers officially recorded the entire composition over the weekend of Dec. 13, 2019. Now that the project is complete, Coles said he has been reflecting on how badly society handles the death of Black Americans.
鈥淨uite often you look at, like, the shooting of George Floyd, and there鈥檚 people out with their camera phones, and you鈥檙e just watching this dude die. I don鈥檛 want to see that,鈥� Coles said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 far too little celebration of Black life. I don鈥檛 want to perpetuate what you see in the media of celebrating Black death and it just being like a commodity."
Coles said he wants to shift the conversation to talking about the beauty and greatness of Black Americans. He said he is proud to showcase his accomplishments, which include earning a master鈥檚 degree and being employed as a faculty member at Kent State University and the Aurora School of Music.
Coles has performed with orchestras locally and internationally and has played on albums with and .
鈥淭o think about where I came from and think about where I am now, I wouldn鈥檛 call myself wildly successful鈥攋ust able to live. That doesn鈥檛 happen for most people that look like me,鈥� Coles said.
Coles said he wants to be a 鈥渄isrupter.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 made me realize that in order to change what we think of as systemic racism, you have to go to the places that you鈥檙e not seen,鈥� Coles said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care about going to a place where I鈥檓 the only Black person because I know I can prove that I鈥檓 worthwhile to invest in, that I belong in that space.鈥�
Recognizing the parallels between the original piece and the finished project
In this federal election year, when tensions are high and the political divide is noticeably deep, Coles reflected on the time leading up to the 2016 election when he first developed what would become the 鈥淣ine Lives Project.鈥�
He said the Charleston shooting made him aware of how people responded to the tragedy鈥攁nd those who were left out of the public conversation.
鈥淓veryone heavily politicized it,鈥� Coles said. 鈥淣o one took the time to say that maybe what we should do is take these people with us when we make decisions, think about them. How would they want me to push the agenda forward?鈥�
The project began as a poem that described the events of one racially motivated tragedy through the sounds of music. Coles鈥� hope for 鈥淣ine Lives Project鈥� is that it will continue to place both the listeners and the performers in a shared space of reflection on issues of social justice, racial inequality and gun violence.
鈥淎nd celebrate Black excellence,鈥� Coles said.
Coles said performances of 鈥淣ine Lives Project鈥� will begin streaming soon. Follow the project鈥檚 for updates.
