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Say Their Names

by Derek Torsani

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    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    All proceeds go to foundations fighting for racial justice.
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  • Full Digital Discography

    6
    releases

    Get all 6 Derek Torsani releases available on Bandcamp.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Say Their Names, Ghost (with Casey Reed), Seeds, Sound Color Project, Fighting for Freedom, and Daze (Deluxe). , and , .

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1.
Ahmaud Arbery 02:23
info
2.
Breonna Taylor 01:24
info
3.
George Floyd 08:46
info

about

Say Their Names is an instrumental commentary on the murders of Black people and a form of protest through music.

TRIGGER WARNING: This music may be emotionally, mentally, or historically triggering for some.

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Ahmaud Arbery
This song is 2 minutes and 23 seconds long, representing the day that Ahmaud Arbery was murdered, Sunday, February 23, 2020.

The tempo of the song is 74bpm, representing the amount of days between when Ahmaud Arbery was murdered and when suspects were charged. 74. Seventy-Four.

The instruments strategically dance around each other like the way feet do when running, and represent the contrast of motive between Ahmaud Arbery and his murderers.

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Breonna Taylor
This song is 84 seconds long, representing the 84 days between the day Breonna Taylor was murdered and what would have been her 27th birthday.

This song is in 2 time signatures with 2 different tempos making up 20 beats in a measure, representing the 20 shots that were fired from police.

The first 12 in 3/4 at 130bpm, representing the chaos of missed bullets, with 130 being 10 times 13, the day Breonna Taylor was murdered, Friday, March 13, 2020.

The second 8 in 4/4 at 108bpm, representing the 8 bullets that killed Breonna Taylor, with 108 being 4 times 27, the age she would've been on her birthday, Friday, June 5, 2020.

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George Floyd
This song is 8 minutes and 46 seconds long, representing the length of time George Floyd had a knee on his neck, resulting in his death.

Most of the song is set at 150bpm, representing a panicking heart rate, until the tempo begins to slow down to a dead stop.

The rhythm represents the heartbeat that eventually stops forever.

In the tone of the song, there is a balancing act between tension and release, representing the loss of a father and a daughter proclaiming how her "...Daddy changed the world."

The ending mimics the contrast between George Floyd's pain of gasping for air and grasping for his "Mama".

Audio clippings of newscasts from years between the murder of Trayvon Martin to George Floyd narrate the song from beginning to end.

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Bass, Keys, Piano - Derek Torsani
Drums (Breonna Taylor) - Jordon Stanley
Drums (Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd) - Dustin Tanner

All songs produced by Derek Torsani

Finalized by steel tipped dove

Original photo by Teemu Paananen
Typeface by Vocal Type

credits

released May 21, 2021

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about

Derek Torsani image

Derek Torsani Washington, D.C.

Derek Torsani is an American multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter born in 1989.

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