Lara Downes presents a deeply personal and timely musical journey shaped by an extraordinary two-year odyssey across the United States. Traveling from California to New York, from Vermont to Alabama, Downes uses music as both compass and passport – connecting with communities, sharing stories, and reflecting on the complexities of contemporary American life as she observes this 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. The result is a richly woven program that brings together voices past and present, from early American songs and spirituals to works by Copland, Bernstein, and Oscar Peterson, alongside new music by composers who define today’s American sound (Carlos Simon, Christopher Tin, and others). Each piece is illuminated by the words and perspectives of those encountered along the way, offering an intimate and collective portrait of a nation in search of truth, identity, and hope.