A story by Jason Brown from 2023
Firefly/Jason Brown, 2023, photograph by Laura MacDonald, Courtesy of Jason Brown
militakwat (pronounced mill-e-duh-kwut) is the Penobscot word for “it has all kinds of sounds” and is my orchestral debut. A historic collaboration between the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Arranger/Composer Ben McNaboe and myself, this three-part movement is rooted in ancient Wabanaki music and was the first collaboration between a Wabanaki person and the Bangor Symphony since the symphony’s founding in 1896.
This original piece world-premiered at the Collins Center for the Arts, University of Maine, Orono and performed as part of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra’s Ode to Joy season finale on April 30, 2023.
I joined maestro Lucas Richman, a full orchestra, 138 choral singers comprised of the University of Maine Singers Euphony, Orono’s Chamber Choir and the Oratorio Society, and performed to a sold-out hall.
For the militakwat performance, my wife Donna Decontie-Brown and I created this original coat. It is a representation of Wabanaki woodland lichen in early spring and the renewal of light, sound and abundance. Handcrafted in torched silk/poly blend, velvet, jersey and accented with glass beads and metal bells, this jacket creates a rustling and ringing soundscape when worn.
I seek to illuminate the beauty and healing power of my ancient Indigenous culture through music, visuals and creativity. As a member of the Penobscot Nation, I am helping to place Indigenous people in a modern context and I believe that through creative frequencies, we can begin to heal humanity and evolve to new levels of love, compassion and wellness.
Friendly URL: https://www.mainememory.net/mymainestory/militakwat
