The function of American Breakfast is to reflect on the transformation of an abnormal occurrence into a daily one. The events at Pulse in Orlando would have, at one time, challenged the assumptions once held dear about America’s tolerance and relative security. But now, the basic assumption is this: an American day will include gun violence. This is a piece about accepting the parameters of a forced American ritual, one in which we must partake, even if we succumb to numbness or deny its reality.

The setting the text relies on color contrast and timbral dissonance rather than the “blend” that choirs traditionally go for, with particular interest in how these different ways of producing sound with the voice interact with each other. The combination represents the hybridity in today’s culture, not only in art, but in the people around us. Constant globalization and immigration are issues that continually cause us to question what the true America is and challenge the deeply-held notions of many Americans.