I AM | Jocelyn Scofield | MusicSpoke

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Jocelyn Scofield

PERFORMANCENOTES

IAMisasingingmeditation.Itisbothapiecethathonorstheindividualandthewhole.Itismeantto affirmanindividual'sworth,aswellasthewholecollective.Whenachoirpreparesforaperformance, theyrehearseapiecedozensifnothundredsoftimes.IwantedtheexperienceofrehearsingIAMtobean ongoingdeclarationofthesinger’svalue.Therefore,everyphraseinthispieceisanaffirmation.Whena singerfindsthemselvessingingthepieceoutsideofrehearsal,theywillbesingingwordsthatarepositive andaffirming.

Musically,Iwantedthispiecetomirrorlife.IAMisbothcomplex,withits7-partvocalsplit,contrasting rhythms,andvaryingaccents,yetsimpleinitsrepetition,lyrics,andtonality.Eachofthe7partssingsa uniqueaffirmationthroughoutthepiece.Theyaresimplestatementslike,"Iamenough"and"Iamlove," butcanholdsomuchcomplexitydependingonanindividual'srelationshipwiththestatement.Inthe middleofthepiece,thereisanaleatoricsectionwhereeachsingercontributestheiruniqueaffirming statement.Itcreatesachaoticbuildingofsoundbeforecomingtogetherforthefirstandonlytimeinthe piecetosing"IAM"asawholechoirinblockchords. Itisoneofmyfavoritemomentsinthepiece becausesimpleandcomplexarejustabeatapart.

REHEARSALNOTES

ALLPARTSATLETTERG:

Createanafﬁrmationusingthenumberofsyllableslistedbelow,startingwith"I"or"Iam." Youwilluseonesyllablepernote.RepeatthephraseontherhythmandnotesofyourpartuntilletterH. Itshouldmeansomethingtoyou.Becreative!Itismeanttobebothpersonalandsharable.

SOPRANO1:

Chooseyourown3syllableafﬁrmation. Example:"Iamkind"or"Iamstrong."

SOPRANO2:

Chooseyourown5syllableafﬁrmation. Example:"Icandohardthings"or"Iammeantforgood."

SOPRANO3:

Chooseyourown4syllableafﬁrmation. Example:"Iamgiving"or"Iampatient."

MEZZO1:

Chooseyourown3-syllableafﬁrmation. Example:"Iamlight"or"Iamfree."

MEZZO2:

Chooseyourown4-syllableafﬁrmation. Example:"Iamloving"or"Iamperfect."

ALTO1:

Chooseyourown7-syllableafﬁrmation.(Itcanbeoneortwophrasesof7syllablestotal.) Example:"Iamgoodness.Iamlight"or"IampartofalltheEarth."

ALTO2:

Youarethefoundational"I."Staggerbreathe.Enterinwithastrong"I"aftereachbreath.

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

(Open)(Bass)(Knuckles)

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to

Begin5-syllableafﬁrmations; Seepage2

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BeginI's

Begin4-syllableafﬁrmations; Seepage2

cresc.pocoapoco

Begin3-syllableafﬁrmations; Seepage2

cresc.pocoapoco

Begin4-syllableafﬁrmations; Seepage2

Begin7-syllableafﬁrmations; Seepage2

cresc.pocoapoco

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

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I AM | Jocelyn Scofield | MusicSpoke

Published on Feb 19, 2025

MusicSpoke

I AM is a singing meditation. It is both a piece that honors the individual and the whole. It is meant to affirm an individual's worth, as well as the whole collective. When a choir prepares for a performance,they rehearse a piece dozens if not hundreds of times. I wanted the experience of rehearsing I AM to be an ongoing declaration of the singer’s value. Therefore, every phrase in this piece is an affirmation. When a singer finds themselves singing the piece outside of rehearsal, they will be singing words that are positive and affirming. Musically, I wanted this piece to mirror life. I AM is both complex, with its 7-part vocal split, contrasting rhythms, and varying accents, yet simple in its repetition, lyrics, and tonality. Each of the 7 parts sings a unique affirmation throughout the piece. They are simple statements like, "I am enough" and "I am love," but can hold so much complexity depending on an individual's relationship with the statement. In the middle of the piece, there is an aleatoric section