Tonality

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Tonality is a vocal ensemble whose mission is to deliver authentic stories through voice and body to incite change, understanding, and dialogue Established in 2016, Tonality is an award-winning ensemble known for “open hearted singing” (Lauri’s List). Tonality’s most recent award is the 2020 Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, a prize given for commitment to singing and commissioning new works. Tonality is led by founder and Artistic Director Alexander Lloyd Blake. Blake imagined Tonality as an ensemble that represents the diverse cultures and ethnicities within the Los Angeles area. Within a year of its forming, Tonality’s mission evolved to use their collective voices to present concerts on themes of social justice in hopes to act as a catalyst toward empathy and community activism. The group premiered its first album in 2019 titled Sing About It. Tonality has collaborated with choral composers and film composers to create the works presented in concert, striving for diverse voices and perspectives within the composer community. Collaborators include Joe Trapanese, Roman Gianarthur, Gaayatri Kaundinya, Reena Esmail, Shawn Kirchner, Zanaida Robles, Moira Smiley, Alex Wurman. Tonality has performed with MacArthur Fellow Taylor Mac, Pete Townsend of The Who, pianist Lara Downes, and internationally acclaimed performer Björk.

REPERTORY

2023-2024 SEASON

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Put Down Your Guns

Tonality focuses on an active sense of peace as we come together to find solutions toward the epidemic of gun violence in this country.

This concert discusses issues related to gun violence in the United States. Some of the selections will discuss, mass shootings, police brutality, the effects on victims, school shootings, and suicide prevention. We hope you will find a way to join us in the movement to work toward a way of life where this is no longer the norm.

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You Are Not Alone

Tonality sings of the labels placed on those with mental illness. These fellow community members, treated as “different” reflect on our shame and feelings of misunderstanding. This concert speaks through the eyes of poets and artists who have dealt or deal with mental illness issues. Additionally, the concert explores how we can be of support to members of our community who need compassion, understanding, and validation. Additionally, the concert will include spoken stories of those within our Los Angeles and Tonality community as well who are personally affected by these issues. We can heal and grow together, through our united story and bond through singing.
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Stories of Home

Tonality uses our collective voices to speak to stories of the displaced, focusing on immigration, refugees, or the rampant experiences of homelessness. Tonality uses our collective voices to speak to stories of the displaced, focusing on immigration, refugees, or the rampant experiences of homelessness. “Stories from Home,” takes the original Nativity story and connects it with stories of those in our society who are longing for home. Whether being displaced from a physical space or not feeling accepted or validated in one’s surroundings, we aim to find a way to be home to fellow members in our society who need it.
2023-2024 Repertory

Tonality is a vocal ensemble whose mission is to DELIVER AUTHENTIC STORIES through voice and body to INCITE CHANGE, UNDERSTANDING, and DIALOGUE.

LISTEN

Put Down Your Guns

Change is Gonna Come

Democracy

Tonality, now a diverse ensemble of 16 singers, was established on June 6, 2016. The singers come from a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities and countries.

They are professional singers from Los Angeles who care about the future of our country and our world, and we sing in unity to actively demonstrate the beauty of diversity.

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