Synopsis:
“Letters from Almeda” is an original song cycle that weaves together the voices of Southern Oregon residents, first responders, and volunteers who lived through and helped during the devastating 2020 Almeda Fire. Through a powerful combination of original music and spoken testimonials, the piece explores themes of loss, survival, community, resilience, and hope. Designed to be both a deeply personal and universally relatable experience, the song cycle takes the audience from the calm before the fire, through the harrowing realities of evacuation, and ultimately to the hope and heartbreak of rebuilding.

The work incorporates a diverse range of musical styles—folk, indie, blues, electronic, mariachi, traditional Broadway, and eclectic vocal arrangements—to offer a poignant and multifaceted reflection on the human cost of disaster, as well as the strength found in recovery. My goal is to create an opportunity for both local engagement and universal reflection on how we cope with trauma, rebuild from devastation, and work toward preventing such disasters in the future.