Composer’s Note:

“Let’s Begin” was commissioned by the Tesla Quartet and the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music for the Tesla Quartet “Alternating Currents” COVID-19 Commissioning Project. The three minute string quartet takes inspiration from the theme found in Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 18, No. 5, II. Andante cantabible. Understanding the events of May and June 2020 in the United States that have now awoken more people across various demographics to the severe racial and social injustices in our country, the title is a call to begin racial and social justice work anew, continuing and building upon the work that has gone on before. There is a lot of work to do so let’s begin and continue until there is true justice.