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Eight Eight Time

Journey Arts
Composer-pianists Kendrah Butler-Waters, Terry Klinefelter, Sumi Tonooka, and Suzzette Ortiz, four of the artists of Eight Eight Time, presented by Intercultural Journeys. Photo by Ted Waters III.
Composer-pianists Kendrah Butler-Waters, Terry Klinefelter, Sumi Tonooka, and Suzzette Ortiz, four of the artists of Eight Eight Time, presented by Intercultural Journeys. Photo by Ted Waters III.
Promotional shot feauring composer-pianists Kendrah Butler-Waters, Terry Klinefelter, Sumi Tonooka, and Suzzette Ortiz.
Composer-pianists Kendrah Butler-Waters, Terry Klinefelter, Sumi Tonooka, and Suzzette Ortiz, four of the artists of Eight Eight Time, presented by Intercultural Journeys (March 2025). Photo by Ted Waters III.

Four composer-pianists translate community memories into a twelve-movement suite written for an ensemble of four pianos as well as solo performances. Kendrah Butler-Waters, Terry Klinefelter, Suzzette Ortiz, and Pew Fellow Sumi Tonooka gather groups who are reflective of their own experiences—from Black, Latino, Asian, and neurodiverse communities—to share momentous life events such as birth, parenting, caregiving, and generational passing. The content, spoken cadences, and tone shifts of these stories inform the compositions as well as a spoken narrative developed by Pew Fellow, poet, and curator Yolanda Wisher. The composers perform the suite—including pieces for four pianos, solos, and improvisations—in the round.

The total grant amount represents project funding plus an additional 20% in unrestricted general operating support.

Recipient
Journey Arts

Journey Arts

Journey Arts seeks to promote understanding and bridge cultural divides among people of diverse faiths and cultures through the presentation of music, dance, and spoken word performances. Formed in 1998 as Intercultural Journeys, the organization has held concerts featuring international artists such as Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai, Palestinian composer Simon Shaheen, jazz violinist Diane Monroe, and Chinese erhu player Jiebing Chen.

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News

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