In 2007 Reggie inspired me to begin composing a set of new American art songs for baritone voice and piano. We had both just finished our Master’s Degree and were anxious to forge new paths in the art world. The wonderful thing about that time was that we were working together as teachers at the same school. First thing in the morning and every free moment we had we were composing and rehearsing. Reggie would recommend these wonderful poems and I would immediately begin working out ideas at the piano as he shaped the vocal line. This would continue until we found a sound that we thought did the poem justice. One of the unfinished works from that time was a song set to the poem “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Lawrence Dunbar. Reggie just couldn’t let this piece go and saw the perfect opportunity to transform what we had written into the chorus for his new song.