Melodies speak louder than words in Nicholas May’s ‘I Exist Project’, which shines a light on queer experiences and celebrates diversity.
Their mission is to help people understand and connect with a marginalized community through the creation and promotion of queer repertoire.
Even though music has the power to give a voice to the unheard, May recognizes the lack of stories about the queer condition.
“I want to create pieces that spark more connectivity through the community,” May said. “They all highlight different narratives, from celebrating queer joy to the violence and darkness. We can’t just talk about the uplifting stuff without acknowledging the history too.”
May is a saxophonist and composer who made his solo debut at the age of eighteen with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Kansas.
He collaborates with LGBTQ+ composers and musicians to create pieces emphasizing current and historical experiences. Together with UMKC graduate student and pianist Alex Li, they perform at events around the United States.
Currently, the project has engendered 30-40 new pieces of repertoire that are all programmatic in different aspects of queer culture.
“A lot of people don’t even think about the history [of the LGBTQ+ community], and so we can use [these pieces] as discussion points moving forward to have these conversations and create more awareness overall,” May said.
Since his debut, May has played with bands in the U.S. and internationally and garnered several national and international competition prizes. He has also performed at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall.
Growing up as a queer male in rural Nebraska, May said he was always wondering what he could do to uplift his community through his passion for music.
The emotional connection to what he plays takes his musicianship to the next level. May feels more impacted playing queer-connected music with powerful narratives than performing traditional repertoire.
“Usually more often than not, there’s always one person after the concert that says how deeply it resonated with them and how beautiful it was… That’s why we do that,” May said. “That person, wherever they’re at, the [music] is for them. That’s the most beautiful moment every time.”
May’s lecture is part of Porchlight, UMKC’s first living-learning community offered through Residential Life. The program is designed for LGBT+ students and offers a hallway specifically for them to dorm together.
Richard Martinez is the Residence Hall Manager at UMKC and the founder of Porchlight. He wants his students to feel safe and belong at college.
“Part of the community is hosting events and programs such as this one,” Martinez said. “That way people here in the community get that information and exposure to people doing great things. This is more educational, but we also do fun social events like craft night.”
May empathized with the importance of community on campus. He said he spent most of his time in the music building and only interacting with those people, but he wished he had explored more of what his college had to offer.
The next local performance from the ‘I Exist Project’ will be at the Kansas City Public Library on Nov. 13. His interactive and informative repertoire aims to take the audience on a journey through the queer experience.
Learn more about his project at his website.
