I have just returned from Mexico City after the Latin American premiere of our opera, “I Am A Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams”, which follows the story of two migrants to the United States of America, one of whom is facing deportation. I am proud to have been commissioned by White Snake Projects to compose the piece, working with the libretto by Cerise Jacobs, and which was produced in Mexico City by Escenia Ensemble. It was a dream to show this work in my hometown, with my family and friends, at the Centro Escolar del Lago and Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris, a historical Art Deco venue in beautiful downtown Mexico City. I am overjoyed by the artistic excellence brought forth by Escenia, led by director Ragnar Conde, and conductor Alberto Alonzo Carrera, as well as the cast, crew, and creative team that gave their all to bring this story to life.

Escenia Ensemble is committed to providing opportunities for young and upcoming Mexican artists (conductor Alonzo Carrera celebrated his 31^st birthday during our dress rehearsal), supporting them, nurturing them, and furthering their training and careers. The result was a dedicated cast who gave their all in every show, and a quality of production and performance that rivals anything in the United States. These performances show the abundance of talent in Mexico, just waiting to be harnessed to reach full potential.

One of the highlights for me was being able to work with the children’s choirs “Coro Metropolitano Huitzilli”, and “Coro Vox Coeli” from Centro Escolar del Lago. These very young artists brought a special energy to the productions, which the audiences resonated with. In turn, the children were very aware of what “Dreamer” is about, of what is happening in the Mexico/U.S. border, and of the reality for millions of migrants across the globe.

The story of “Dreamer” struck a different chord at home in Mexico. People cried at each of the four performances and clearly connected to the story. I spoke to countless audience members as well as our artistic team, and the overall sentiment was that we were part of something special. Audiences saw themselves or people close to them represented in the characters, and felt hope as the children flooded the stage with sunflowers for the finale. In the end “Dreamer” is about friendship, about connection, and about hope: hope for a better and more humane world.

After the performances many people asked what they could do to help: How can they stay connected? How can they continue to be part of this movement? These questions are on my mind. I know that we will continue to create socially conscious work, to create roles for Latinx artists, that represent them with honesty, and create opportunities for young and very young artists.

As I return to the United States, I am immediately reminded of how much things have taken a turn for the worse in the six years since the world premiere of “Dreamer.” I am horrified that thousands of migrants are being deprived of their constitutional right to habeus corpus and their right to a fair and impartial trial. My social media algorithm shows me a video of the Secretary of Homeland Security, impeccably dressed and styled, with a background of hundreds of half-naked men in an offshore prison, showing human beings treated like animals, punished for crimes unknown, denied the right to an impartial trial and to be judged by a jury of their peers. This is not about controlling immigration. This is about using violence and cruelty for political gains.

Art is speech, music is speech. The current USA administration has sought to silence artists by eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts. For independent arts organizations like White Snake Projects and for independent artists like me, this has been a painful blow. For many arts organizations across the country it will be fatal. The administration considers artists enemies: they want us scared, submissive, and silenced. I choose to hold on to the warm feeling of music and community, which is a feeling that no one can take away. I choose to keep writing, creating, and using my constitutional right to free speech. I encourage you to support the arts and free speech. It doesn’t take much. Find artists who resonate with you, follow them on social media, like their posts and their work, attend concerts, buy a ticket, and – if you are able – help with a donation or even a kind word of encouragement. Where others seek to become insular and plant hatred, we will build bridges and harvest compassion, hoping that our dream will stay alive and carry on.