Abokkoli’ Taloowa’ (Woodland Songs)

• Abokkoli’ Taloowa’ (Woodland Songs) is a 5-movement work commissioned for the Dover Quartet by Curtis Institute of Music.
• The piece is about woodland animals from the Southeast. Each movement represents one of the animals:
  1. Fani’ (Squirrel)
  2. Bakbak (Woodpecker)
  3. Issi’ (Deer)
  4. Nani’ (Fish)
  5. Shawi’ (Raccoon)
• Program notes from the composer:

“Each woodland animal has a special ethos and there are many traditional stories about them. In this work, five woodland animals are represented: Squirrel, Woodpecker, Deer, Fish, and Raccoon. Each movement is like an epitome—a deep, dramatic, and rhapsodic expression of my feelings of being a Chickasaw man from a beautiful and robust culture. I love our animals, and I love composing works about them.

“Abokkoli’ Taloowa’ (Woodland Songs) is full of Chickasaw melodies, rhythms, and musical structure. Sometimes these elements appear very clearly, where the melody may romantically soar above the ensemble. Sometimes they are abstracted into the texture of the quartet and hidden inside the spirit of the animal. I allow myself to fluidly dance between cultural clarity and modern expressionism. I am deeply inspired by our modern Native artists, choreographers, authors and filmmakers—each proudly expressing their individual identity within rich ancestry. I encourage each listener to create their own emotional story of each animal and imprint these legends into their hearts.”¹

1. Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, Notes in accompanying booklet, Woodland Songs performed by Dover Quartet, Curtis Institute of Music 28050, 2025, compact disc.