#Beyond400
The Topian Anthem
Topian Overture, Score & Libretto by Mark Gregory Dockery 2018
Created @ DH’s House, Idyllwild, CA , on his Black Piano
Topian
The ones they spake beneath The Nations
Rise up
Stand tall thee now for generations
Yet to come - Join as one
Within this world Most High has kept us
And now together He has blessed us
ever go beyond
Topian
The recognition of what has been
Done to all
But Justice has the victory in
Yah we trust
May The World forevermore.
Orchestral Mockup 1.0
Next Arrangements / Re-harmonizations Planned
Solemn Mockup for 2 Horns
Solo Piano
Choral
Vocal Soloist a Capella
String Quartet
Beats
Ringtones
#Beyond400 Background / Thought Process
Tone Targets
Objectives
Triumphant
Jubilant
Soaring
Authoritative
Exclusively Inclusive
It should translate well in solemn settings as well as with pageantry
It should sound good with 2 instruments / no harmonizations
It should have enough complexity that musicians aspire to achieve it, yet simple enough to be approached by young musicians and ensembles.
Burning Questions
So much of Black culture is our musical vocabulary. Interpreting our musical canon in a variety of different ways is important to us. Jazz is largely a Black language, So structurally, the anthem must be open enough for arrangements, reharmonizations, remixes and interpretations to achieve the potential for a Black Anthem.
What if we had an anthem of our own?
Would it feel different to sing it?
Are Black Folk too intellectually despondent to respond to such a level of re-identification?
More offensive to me than the Star Spangled Banner, are complainers. In my mind, the extent to which one protests, is the extent to which one is not serious about their moral critique of the opposition. When Black people complain and protest about things… I love my people… but it really moves me to create solutions to share with them as opposed to watching them squirm in continued disorientation.
This is an example of doing better than complaining.
Instead of telling someone that THEIR values are wrong all the time, it becomes more appropriate to just DEMONSTRATE better behavior, as opposed to challenging the worse behavior.
It’s offensive when people hear criticism of their national anthem or the bigotry on their money, only because they’d already gotten comfortable with identifying with what you’re now pointing out as flawed. Further, they’d mostly only grown comfortable because they didn’t have any other options. So knowing that, I was moved to offer another option to the world as we conclude the psychological warfare that white-supremacy has represented for the past 400 years of prophesied oppression.
#Beyond400, the Topian Anthem, is that option.
Black people are a very musical people, which means the Star Spangled Banner represents an especially egregious psychological assault today. Especially given the disproportionate amount of times that Black bodies are the occasion for gathering at events where the anthem is sung.
For these and other reasons it’s been clear to me - we need our own song, #Beyond400.
To all who can see the #Post400World, I present to you, #Beyond400.
