On November 22, 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX while sitting next to his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy. For years to come after this infamous day, letters were written to Jackie, expressing condolences and confusion, the spectrum of grief memorialized in the written word. The
Letters To Jackie project seeks to give voice to those letters, providing a communal musical experience for its audience, allowing them to share in the collective grief and healing of a nation and a world.
Letters To Jackie is a song cycle based on the letters sent to Jacqueline Kennedy representing the collective grief following the assassination of her husband. It will provide an opportunity for turning inward and experiencing loss and healing through the lens of a national tragedy.
Letters To Jackie invites listeners on a musical journey to safely explore grief and spark conversation on the importance of human connection.
Letters To Jackie also offers a glimpse into a touchstone moment in American history, representing the audience in which it serves and for which it is performed. In order to seek equal representation, the cycle will include voices of differing sex, gender, race, creed, and citizenship to offer hope, community, and equal access. The world-premiere performance of
Letters To Jackie will took place on November 22, 2023 in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The CD recording of the song cycle is scheduled for December 2023 and where most of the needs of the project are currently. Future iterations of the project are already scheduled, with the next full performance occurring on April 13, 2024 in Minneapolis, MN.
**VIDEO OF THE PREMIERE NOW AVAILABLE FOR DONORS OF $20 or MORE!** Letters To Jackie is an expansion of an earlier composition “Bethesda, Maryland: Nov 23, 1963" by composer, Erik Pearson. Ryan Townsend Strand and Erik Pearson won first prize in the 2019 Chicago SongSlam Competition for their performance of this work.
Letters To Jackie will be a living and breathing project that continues to allow opportunities for
Ryan Townsend Strand as a performer, producer, and passionate storyteller.