PROGRAM NOTE
I dedicate this piece to my immediate family: my parents, my brother, my nephews and my little niece.
In the piece, I include ideas such as my brother’s life search, which sometimes hits dead ends, but remains relentless after all; my dad’s sensitivity and although subtly, his love for dancing; and my own version of a melody of a song my mom used to sing every Sunday while doing laundry.
The title of the piece expresses that I believe, although I have become my own person, I am still very much connected to my family. Lots of my past memories and my present are filled with my family. This piece is a loving homage to them.
En mi, familia was commissioned by the Michigan State University Symphony Band and David Thornton, Associate Director of Bands.
-Ivette Herryman Rodríguez