Diversity Rules Magazine

NewMusicShelf is proud to release the first-ever vol- ume of songs wri en for and/or by transgender and nonbinary people, Anthology of New Music: Trans & Nonbinary Voices. The collec on presents com- posers who highlight the mul faceted intersec ons unique to the lived experiences of transgender and nonbinary people and stands as a declara on that despite the many historical a empts to isolate them, these communi es will not be silenced. Their voices are beau ful, and through printed composi ons, the anthology spotlights these important ar sts so that the world can recognize and revel in their beauty. NewMusicShelf Anthology of New Music: Trans & Nonbinary Voices, Vol. 1 is published by Dennis To- benski and curated by Aiden Feltkamp. It is available now on NewMusicShelf.com, Amazon, Barnesand- Noble.com, and wherever books are sold. "As a trans nonbinary singer, I o en found opera and musical theater composi ons to be aggressively gen- dered and binary," reflects Aiden Feltkamp. "I was at a loss for repertoire that spoke to me." They approached Dennis Tobenski, a composer and vocalist who was running a bou que music publish- ing company in New York City, with the idea to build a collec on of vocal and piano music that centered on iden ty. Tobenski's typical NewMusicShelf publica ons focus on a par cular instrument or voice type. What Felt- kamp was proposing would be like no other anthol- ogy before — a first of its kind. However, it was a concept that Tobenski, a gay man, could relate to. In the early 2000s, Tobenski recalls very li le music featuring a man loving another man. "What did ex- ist wasn't exactly visible for a kid like me growing up gay in the cornfields of Illinois. I was forced to either sing about loving women, coopt soprano repertoire about loving men, or not sing about love at all." Tobenski and Feltkamp envisioned the NewMusic- Shelf Anthology of New Music: Trans & Nonbinary Voices as an opportunity to present songs music lovers could connect to without the barrier of gen- der. They decided selec ons would include all vo- cal ranges in mul ple music styles that told a variety of stories of the transgender and nonbinary experi- ence. Their only criteria: 1) the composer is trans or nonbinary, 2) the lyricist is trans or nonbinary, or 3) the song was wri en for or premiered by a trans or nonbinary singer. Feltkamp chose Yoshi Weinberg's "Captain of My Soul" because the piece represents the tradi onal art song. It ar ully blends contemporary composi- on with fantas cally haun ng and drama c poetry and "is an ideal song for an undergrad or graduate level recital," Feltkamp, a Turn the Spotlight fellow and graduate of Bard College Conservatory's Gradu- ate Vocal Arts Program, a ests. They selected Pax Ressler's "Love Song for Me" for in- clusion in the anthology because of its upbeat, pride- centric theme. "I hadn't considered including singer- songwriter songs in the anthology, but Pax's work fit the inclusion criteria and was simply too good not to include," Feltkamp con nues. Dana Kaufman's "To My Mother's Closet" was chosen for its topical reflec on of Caitlyn Jenner Anthology - Con't on page 16 Diversity Rules Magazine|Mar 2022|11 Anthology Of New Music Written For and/or By Trans and Nonbinary Voices

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