Katahj Copley (b. 1998) had his first composition performed as an undergraduate at the University of West Georgia in 2017. Since then, he has written an astounding amount of music, more than 100 pieces, many of which have been performed by ensembles in all corners of the United States and the world. He completed graduate studies in composition with Omar Thomas at the University of Texas at Austin, and is now pursuing further study at Michigan State University. He is featured at his own website, the Wind Repertory Project, …And We Were Heard, and the Millennium Composers Initiative. He also maintains a presence on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Copley wrote AYO for the O’Fallon Township (Illinois) High School Wind Ensemble, who premiered it at the Midwest Clinic in December, 2022. The piece is, in essence, a greeting. Copley explains:
Salutations
Greetings.
Hello.
Hi.
Hey.
Yo.
Ayo.
These terms along with countless others have been used to greet people throughout history.
However the term “AYO” is different.
Rooted from hip hop and jazz culture, AYO is built in the black language. It’s used to tell when something is right, when something is wrong, when something is awesome, and when something is too sweet for words. It’s use is seen with your closest people, your family, or people who know you best. It’s personal. In short “AYO” is a personal embrace that can represent life. With this piece I wanted to build the kind of embrace you would get from this word alone while also honoring its beginnings- using hip hop rhythms and colorful harmonies. By the end of the piece, we the listeners go from uncertainty to home; and with the uniqueness of the piece, we in turn celebrate not only a word like AYO but also celebrate life.
Listen to the premiere performance:
AYO the band piece is on Copley’s website, Murphy Music Press, and the Wind Repertory Project. “Ayo” the slang term is at Urban Dictionary and Wiktionary.