Break Free on Wings of Music

The theme is transforming sorrow into hope, and bondage into a cocoon to give birth to the wings of creation. This theme is manifesting itself in the many creative talents and supportive organizations that are emerging from their pandemic cocoons with works that can be likened to butterflies emerging to take flight and inspire us with their beauty and freedom of movement in an open sky.

This San Francisco Bay Area born project has now grown into an International project, that is continuing to expand and involves many creators and organizations. This website tracks the creations and contributions to the Breathe Free on Wings in Rhythm Project which includes music compositions, arrangements, recordings, performances, dance choreographies, film, art, piano donations and historical piano and tall ship restorations.

History of the Project

In July 2020, just as the pandemic was continuing to shut down events, businesses, travel, museums, non-profit organizations and music and dance performances all around the world, Karen Earle Lile conceived this project.

Hearing all of the sorrow caused by political tensions, George Floyd’s death, country borders closing, deaths due to the pandemic, and the many artists and musicians that were affected by shuttered venues and closed events, and inspired by the creativity of Bruce Chrisp and the Musicians of the Oakland Symphony: Lile woke up at 2 am one morning with a powerful idea. Lile describes it “as abstract thought and movement, like the birth of a miniature galaxy of potential stars with planets and moons about to be formed from its creative energy”. Lile took just one element from this concept and wrote prose within a few hours, with the intention that it should be used to inspire the creation of music, written by Kendall Ross Bean, for the Musicians of the Oakland Symphony.

Karen had met the Executive Director of the Oakland Symphony, Mieko Hatano during a Metropolitan Club lecture she was hosting that celebrated the creation of the Musicians of Oakland Symphony’s video performance of “This Land is your Land” during the pandemic shutdowns. Within that same month, the Oakland Symphony and the Musicians of the Oakland Symphony partnered with Karen Lile Productions to make “Breathe Free on Wings in Rhythm” a project, with Karen Earle Lile as its founder and Executive Producer and the Oakland Symphony as a partner in the commission of the first musical work.

Piano Finders joined the team and, with the Oakland Symphony, began to convert donated pianos into an Oakland Symphony commission for a Rhapsody to be composed by Kendall Ross Bean, with Libretto by Karen Earle Lile. That first composition was finished in Nov 2020 as a score with a piano reduction of an orchestral concept and the complete choral, tenor and soprano soloist arrangement. Lile and Bean gave it the title, “Break Free on Wings of Music”. All subsequent musical arrangements and derivations in this project started with this composition and libretto.

In order of first name or title of organization or project:

Bruce Chrisp and Musicians of the Oakland Symphony

Chris Tedesco

Grays Harbor Historical Seaport

Hands Preserving History Project

James Anthony McMillen

Jonah Kim

Julia Rowe

Karen Earle Lile

Kendall Ross Bean

Leon Joyce, Jr.

Michael J. Kofford

Oakland Symphony

Otros Aires

Seiko Tachibana

Tiit Helimets

Two Weeks Inside Breaks Free

Date	Event	Participants
April 15, 2020	“Living the Dream – Chris Tedesco” Lecture at Metropolitan Club hosted by Karen Earle Lile. Lile introduces Bruce Chrisp to Chris Tedesco	Karen Earle Lile Bruce Chrisp Chris Tedesco
July 3, 2020	Chrisp sends a “This Land is Your Land” video to Lile before it is released to public.	Bruce Chrisp Karen Earle Lile
July 7, 2020	Karen Lile and Rick Tittle interview Bruce Chrisp on Sail Sport Talk on Sports Byline	Karen Earle Lile Rick Tittle Bruce Chrisp
July 29, 2020	“Musicians of Oakland Symphony Create a New Together from their Homes” – Zoom Event hosted by Karen Earle Lile for Metropolitan Club	Karen Earle Lile Bruce Chrisp Gabrielle Wunsch Mieko Hatano Conway Jones
July 30, 2020	Lile conceives the abstract and movement concept for the project, then writes prose from which the “Breathe Free on Wings in Rhythm” project is named	Karen Earle Lile
Aug 19, 2020	“Conducting as a Metaphor for Life” Zoom Event hosted by Lile for Metropolitan Club featuring a conversation between Lile and Oakland Symphony Maestro Michael Morgan	Karen Earle Lile Maestro Michael Morgan Mieko Hatano Conway Jones
Sep 8, 2020	Memorandum of Understanding between Oakland Symphony and Building Bridges nonprofit.	Karen Earle Lile Mieko Hatano
Oct 28, 2020	Yamaha Disclavier donated through Piano Finders donation project by private party to Oakland Symphony for the Breathe Free on Wings in Rhythm Project	Private Donation Name withheld
Nov 18, 2020	“Breathe Free on Wings in Rhythm” Zoom Event at Metropolitan Club hosted by Lile	Karen Earle Lile Kendall Ross Bean Mieko Hatano Bruce Chrisp Gabrielle Wunsch
Dec 11, 2020	Oakland Symphony commissions Kendall Ross Bean to write the music and Lile to write the Libretto for what will become a classical Rhapsody called “Break Free on Wings of Music” for full orchestra, choir, tenor and soprano.	Oakland Symphony Kendall Ross Bean Karen Earle Lile
Feb 17, 2020	Thomas Vanderheide donates vintage Hamburg Steinway Grand to Oakland Symphony for Break Free on Wings of Rhythm Project in honor of his mother	Thomas Vanderheide Piano Finders Oakland Symphony
Feb 18, 2021	USPS Building Bridges Postal Cancellation Series began again during the pandemic for the Golden Gate International Exposition Anniversary. https://sanfrancisco.comteams.com . Oakland Symphony and Break Free on Wings of Music was approved by USPS to be part of the series at a future date TBD.	USPS Building Bridges Treasure Island Museum Bicentennial of Peru BAP Union Tall Ship
Mar 8, 2021	Bean and Lile submit a score with a piano reduction and vocal arrangement of a 14 minute classical Rhapsody to Oakland Symphony	Kendall Ross Bean Karen Earle Lile Oakland Symphony
Mar 22, 2021	Chris Tedesco introduces James Anthony McMillen to Karen Earle Lile	Chris Tedesco James Anthony McMillen Karen Earle Lile
Mar 25, 2021	Lile introduces McMillen to Bean	Karen Earle Lile James Anthony McMillen Kendall Ross Bean
Mar 25, 2021	Sharon Litsky introduces Jonah Kim and Julie Rowe to Karen Earle Lile	Sharon Litsky Jonah Kim Julia Rowe Karen Earle Lile
Mar 30, 2021	Karen Lile Productions Publishing commissions McMillen to write classical and jazz arrangements for “Break Free on Wings of Music” using March 8, 2021 score and piano recording as a basis	Karen Earle Lile Kendall Ross Bean James Anthony McMillen
April 7, 2021	“In Conversation with Jonah Kim and Julia Rowe” a zoom Event at the Metropolitan Club co-hosted by Litsky and Lile	Sharon Litsky Jonah Kim Julie Rowe Karen Earle Lile
April 10, 2021	McMillen sends Lile the first mockup of the orchestral arrangement (a computer generated sound track). Lile visualizes a ballet story while listening to the sound file.	Karen Earle Lile Kendall Ross Bean Jonah Kim
April 11, 2021	Lile writes the first draft of a story for a full ballet.	Karen Earle Lile
April 15, 2021	Karen Lile Productions Publications commissions Jonah Kim to create a solo cello musical work derived from “Break Free on Wings of Music”	Karen Earle Lile Kendall Ross Bean Jonah Kim
April 30 2021	Kim sends Lile the score and a recording of his arrangement for cello. Kim tells Lile that while he was arranging the cello part, Julia Row, his wife and principal ballerina of SF Ballet, had been improvising ballet to the music. Lile sends Kim a copy of the story for a ballet. Kim and Lile decide that it would be great to produce a 3 min video to go with the cello/piano arrangement with a Pas de dueaux with Julia Rowe and Tiit Helimets. Kim plans to meet with Helimets to create film storyboard. Kim shares story with Row in evening.	Karen Earle Lile Jonah Kim
May 1, 2021	Lile sends Jonah Kim’s cello arrangement to Kendall Ross Bean and Bean agrees to write a piano accompaniment for the cello solo arrangement Jonah wrote. Kim tells Lile that Rowe loves the thought of doing this a ballet and Kim and Lile discuss using the short film featuring cello/piano and Rowe and Helimets as a trailer and to find a ballet company willing to partner with the Break Free on Wings Of Music as a ballet, so as to get the ballet’s imput before writing the additional music that would be required to complete the story.	Karen Earle Lile Kendall Ross Bean
May 16, 2021	Lile invites Jonah Kim and Julia Rowe to go sailing on Valor with Captain Eric Jones, during a Sea Valor sail on the SF Bay.	Karen Earle Lile Jonah Kim Julia Rowe Eric Jones
May 23, 2021	Kim introduces Lile to Leslie Ann Jones at Skywalker Ranch Sound, confirming an intention for Lile to produce a recording of the cello and piano version of “Break Free on Wings of Music” and also a Jazz version with a drummer to be decided upon, with sound engineer David Bowes.	Jonah Kim Leslie Anne Jones Karen Earle Lile
May 24, 2021	Lile emails ballet story to Rowe and Helimet. Tiit Helimet and Julia Rowe begin choreographing to cello/piano arrangement of “Break Free on Wings of Music”.	Julia Rowe Tiit Helimet Karen Earle Lile
May 25, 2021	Lile books a recording session for the Break Free on Wings of Music Project as Skywalker Sound for June 15th, 2021 and hires David vR Bowles as sound engineer and Dann Thompson assistant sound engineer and Dave Ingalz as assistant producer	Karen Earle Lile Leslie Anne Jones David vR Bowles Dann Thompson
May 26, 2021	Conductor Danny Stewart recommends Leon Joyce Jr as a drummer to Kim, for the Skywalker Sound Recording.	Danny Stewart Jonah Kim Leon Joyce Jr
May 30, 2021	Kim gives Lile Joyce’s email address	Jonah Kim Karen Earle Lile Leon Joyce Jr.
Jun 1, 2021	Lile discovers she and Joyce have 188 Facebook friends in common from many communities and have never met. She contacts Joyce and invites him to be part of two projects. The “Two Weeks Inside Studio D” Project that started at Fantasy Studios in Sept 2018 and the “Break Free on Wings of Music” Project	Karen Earle Lile Leon Joyce Jr
Jun 1, 2021	Two Weeks Inside Project partners with the Breathe Free on Wings in Rhythm Project with a plan to add “Break Free on Wings of Music” as a bonus track to a new release of the music originally on KCSM Jazz benefit album “Two Weeks Inside Studio D: recorded at Fantasy Studios”. The intersection of these two projects is now called: “Two Weeks Inside Breaks Free”. Michael J. Kofford, Jonah Kim, Kendall Ross Bean and Leon Joyce, Jr. are the first creators to participate.	Karen Earle Lile Michael J. Kofford Jonah Kim Kendall Ross Bean Leon Joyce Jr.
Jun 2, 2021	Karen Lile Productions commissions Leon Joyce Jr, Jonah Kim and Kendall Ross Bean to create a jazz arrangement of “Break Free on Wings of Music” for cello, piano and drums. Bean, Joyce and Kim come to Lile’s house to meet each other for the first time and plan their collaboration	Karen Earle Lile Kendall Ross Bean Jonah Kim Leon Joyce Jr.
Jun 2, 2021	Grays Harbor Historical Seaport partners with the Hands Preserving History Project initiated by Lile and Bean and Piano Finders in 2018. GHHS joins Breathe Free on Wings in Rhythm Project with plans to stage an unveiling of art by Seiko Tachibana and the restoration of a the Hamburg Steinway Grand by Kendall Ross Bean, as part of the Hands Preserving History Project, with a culminating event to be included in the Breathe Free on Wings in Rhythm Project attended by the Lady Washington, a historical tall ship and museum. Piano was originally donated to Oakland Symphony by Thomas Vanderheide in memory of his mother. Then piano was sold by Piano Finders to the current owner whose Trust is donating money for its restoration and the art installation.	Brandi Bednarik Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Seiko Tachibana Piano Finders Karen Earle Lile Kendall Ross Bean Thomas Vanderheide, Chris and Connie Lin
Jun 7, 2021	Karen Lile Productions commissions Rob Dehnlinger to create a 1950’s Swing Band arrangement of “Break Free on Wings of Music”	Karen Earle Lile Robert Dehlinger Kendall Ross Bean
June 14, 2021	Lile introduces Bean to Larry Lobel. Lile has hired Larry Lobel to tune the piano for the recording session. Bean and Lobel discuss the piano tuning and voicing. Lile introduces Kofford to Bowles and Thompson to discuss future filming planned for Skywalker Sound as part of “Two Weeks Inside Breaks Free” documentary for PBS.	Karen Earle Lile Kendall Ross Bean Larry Lobel Michael J. Kofford David vR Bowles Dann Thompson
June 15, 2021	Karen Lile Productions at Skywalker Sound in a Recording Session to record: 1) Break Free on Wings of Music for cello and piano 2) Sky of Dreams for cello and piano 3) Break Free on Wings of Music Jazz improvisation for cello, piano and drums 4) vocal track only for Break Free on Wings of Music for 1950’s Swing Band and tenor	Karen Earle Lile Kendall Ross Bean Jonah Kim Leon Joyce Jr. David vR Bowles Dann Thompson Larry Lobel
June 15, 2021	Otros Aires accepts commission from Karen Lile Productions to do tango arrangement derived from Bean/Lile’s original “Break Free on Wings of Music” piano reduction for orchestra, tenor, soprano and choir	Miguel Di Genova Diego Ramos Karen Earle Lile Kendall Ross Bean
Aug 11, 2021	Lile sends James McMillen’s arrangement for orchestra, choir, tenor and soprano to Mieko Hatano to give to Oakland Symphony Conductor Michael Morgan for his comments. This is the work that was commissioned by the Oakland Symphony that began the project.	Karen Earle Lile Kendall Ross Bean James Anthony McMillen Mieko Hatano
Aug 20, 2021	Oakland Symphony Conductor Michael Morgan dies before he is able to read the score.	Michael Morgan
Sep 22, 2021	James McMillen finishes the digital copies of the score and parts for Oakland Symphony and Chorus.	James Anthony McMillen
Sep 28, 2021	Lile arranges Mike Young’s Mood Swing Orchestra, with Chris Tedesco conducting, and Jim McMillen on Trombone to do the honors of the World Premiere performance of the 1930’s version of “Break Free on Wings of Music”. Singer TBD.	Karen Earle Lile, Chris Tedesco, James Anthony McMillen
Oct 15, 2021	James McMillen picks up the printed and taped score and parts from B. Williams for the 1930’s Big Band Version of “Break Free on Wings of Music”	James Anthony McMillen B. Williams
Oct 28, 2021	Grays Harbor Historical Seaport publishes first article about Hands Preserving History Project and rebuilding of Steinway Grand that will be unveiled at a Break Free on Wings of Music Event in 2022.	Brandi Bednarik Kendall Ross Bean Karen Earle Lile Lady Washington Thomas Van der Heide Chris and Connie Lin
Dec 28, 2021	Treasure Island Museum formally commissions Karen Lile Productions to produce the 83rd Anniversary Celebrations for the Golden Gate International Exposition with 3 world premieres to be part of ceremony at Building One, One Avenue of the Palms, Treasure Island Museum, San Francisco, CA. To include 1930’s Version mentioned above on Sept 28, 2021. And Cello and Piano version to be performed by Jonah Kim and Kendall Ross Bean. And 1952 Steinway 9’ Concert Grand (Fantasy Studios Producer Piano) with art installation “Cooperative Skills” by Seiko Tachibana to be unveiled.	Treasure Island Museum, Karen Earle Lile, Michael Young, Mood Swing Orchestra, Kendall Ross Bean, Chris Tedesco, James Anthony McMillen, Piano Finders, Seiko Tachibana
Feb 19, 2022	Partnered with Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association, Treasure Island Museum, TIDA, TIYC, KMP and Building Bridges as part of Treasure Island World Fair Anniversary Celebrations with Pacific Rim Unity Parade 2022	Treasure Island World’s Fair Anniversary Celebrations
April 16, 2022	Seiko Tachibana’s Art on Piano unveiled	Treasure Island World’s Fair Anniversary Celebrations 1939-2022
April 16, 2022	Mood Swing Orchestra and Joe Escobar perform world premiere of 1939 Big Band Arrangement of “Break Free on Wings of Music”.	Treasure Island World’s Fair Anniversary Celebrations 1939-2022
April 16, 2022	Jonah Kim and Kendall Ross Bean perform world premiere of “Break Free on Wings of Music” cello-solo piano arrangement	Treasure Island World’s Fair Anniversary Celebrations 1939-2022
April 16, 2022	“Wings of Music” Ballet Film with Tiit Helimets and Julia Rowe and Jonah Kim- First Screening	Treasure Island World’s Fair Anniversary Celebrations
Jan 27, 2023	“Break Free” for jazz piano and bass. Tammy L. Hall Jazz Arrangement in 2023 of Kendall Ross Bean’s classical composition 4th Movement of “Break Free on Wings of Music” piano reduction originally composed Mar 8, 2021. Recorded in 3D.	Skywalker Sound, Tammy L. Hall, Ruth Davies, Kendall Ross Bean, Karen E. Lile, David vR Bowles, Dann Thompson
Jan 28, 2023	Kendall Ross Bean (piano) and Leberta Lorál (soprano) record scratch vocal and piano of Kendall Ross Bean’s classical composition 3rd, 4th and 5th Movement of “Break Free on Wings of Music” piano reduction originally composed Mar 8, 2021. Recorded in 3D. Produced by Karen E. Lile at Skywalker Sound	Skywalker Sound, Kendall Ross Bean, Leberta Lorál, Karen E. Lile, David vR Bowles, Dann Thompson
Jan 29, 2023	Jaco Wong conducts Kendall Ross Bean all five movements of “Break Free on Wings of Music” piano reduction originally composed Mar 8, 2021. Recorded in 3D. Produced by Karen E. Lile at Skywalker Sound	Skywalker Sound, Kendall Ross Bean, Jaco Wong, Karen E. Lile, David vR Bowles, Dann Thompson
Jan 30, 2023	Jonah Kim (cello) and Kendall Ross Bean record an EP “Songs without Words” of 6 original compositions by Kendall Ross Bean arranged for cello and piano. Produced by Karen E. Lile at Skywalker Sound, Recorded in 3D.	Skywalker Sound, Jonah Kim, Kendall Ross Bean, Karen E. Lile, David vR Bowles, Dann Thompson
July 1, 2023	Karen E. Lile is Executive Producer of Fillmore Jazz Festival and meets Walter Atkins, an award winning photojournalist and music reviewer. The have a conversation about the “Two Weeks Inside Studio D” Project .	Fillmore Jazz Festival, Fillmore Street at California, San Francisco, CA
Aug 19, 2023	Walter comes to Piano Finders in Pleasant Hill and Karen gives Walter a copy 197 of 200 of promo copy CD of “Two Weeks Inside Studio D” that was manufactured as a gift for donors to the KCSM fundraiser and tells story of the music and the album.	Walter Atkins, Karen E. Lile at Piano Finders in Pleasant Hill, CA
~~~~~Date~~~~~	~~~~~~~Event~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~	~~~Participants

Karen Earle Lile, Executive Producer of Break Free on Wings of Music Project

Mieko Hatano, Executive Director of Oakland Symphony