Alexander Lloyd Blake and David Morales talk new Tonality album on The Kelly Clarkson Show

Earlier this week, Thornton alumni Alexander Lloyd Blake (DMA ‘19), the artistic director of Tonality, and David Morales (MA ’20), a Tonality ensemble member, were interviewed on an episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. Blake spoke to Kelly about the background of the group and how the 24-voice choir explores stories of social justice and other difficult topics through music.

“We bring our stories to the music. As you know, as an artist, to explain experiences through song brings a new emotion, and I think it brings people closer to issues that we really should be talking about,” said Blake.

David Morales shared his own story about being a child of Latinx immigrants in California and explained how he gets to share that experience through a Tonality piece that’s focused on themes of immigration and refugees.

“We have a piece called ‘American Dreamers’ that I really get to connect to, and that also allows for other audience members with similar experiences to have their voices heard through song,” said Morales, “and for other audience members that maybe have not [experienced that], to have some sort of empathy as well.”