State is a 35-minute oratorio for a female soloist, women's choir, three percussionists, piano, and fixed media.  The text of the piece is derived entirely from oral histories I collected from Appalachians in Cincinnati.  With support from swarm-like choral textures, found-sound percussion, and layered archival recordings, the piece centers around the stories of three women who are among the millions of Appalachians living in the Midwest following a large wave of migration in the mid-20th century.  This was my most ambitious undertaking to date, and I was fortunate to work with singer Kate Wakefield; MUSE, Cincinnati's Women's Choir under the direction of Rhonda Juliano; and a great instrumental ensemble (Aaron Butler, Drew Wright and Evan Miller, percussion; Matthew Umphreys, piano) for the premiere weekend on April 16-17, 2016 at The Sanctuary in Lower Price Hill, Cincinnati.  The project was supported by grants and fellowships from the Berea College Appalachian Sound Archives, Artswave, And People's Liberty.  Click here to see the full score.