Hearings premieres online July 29

For the past year, I have been working on a piece for the soprano duo Peridot Duo. Hearings premieres on July 29 in on online concert.

I wanted to write something that would be meaningful for two women to sing. In a blaze of inspiration, I decided to set testimony from Antia Hill and Christine Blasey Ford, as well as speech from other women present at the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, including words from Senators Kamala Harris and Mazie Hirono. . (Anita Hill was the only woman in attendance at the Clarence Thomas hearing. The Senate Judicial Committee was entirely male in 1991).

Anita Hill gave her testimony in 1991, when I was 17 years old. Her testimony, as well as the larger reaction to it, made a profound impression on me as a teenager. I found Anita Hill’s testimony to be brave, and delivered with a grace and dignity that was awe-inspiring. Above all, I believed her.

When witnessing Christine Blasey Ford’s equally brave testimony, I was struck by how much had changed in 27 years in terms of the reception of women’s stories, and how much had unfortunately not changed in terms of these stories’ ability to influence outcomes in powerful institutions. I believe Christine Blasey Ford.

I composed Hearings as a reflection on women’s stories, both in their individual and collective manifestations, and on the way these stories are received. It is my hope that this piece will amplify the voices of Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford, as well as all the other women who have had similar experiences.