Tobias Deggans

About

Tobias Jordaan Eric Deggans (b. 2004) is a multi-disciplinary artist, composer, and conductor born and based in the state of Florida. Influenced by his choral contemporaries and obscure indie esoterica alike, Tobias strives to bring a fresh angle to everything he does— whether it be the clear influence of Arvo Pärt and Radiohead alike in all of his work regardless of genre, or his dedication to writing and setting texts that spotlight underrepresented perspectives in choral music. His love of experimentation comes hand in hand with his strong drive to keep his work accessible: in his view, some of the most impactful and captivating works (in any genre) are deceptively simple and unfailingly earnest. He is currently pursuing his bachelor's in Choral Music Education at Florida State University, and as a transgender man in music education, he strives to use his many artistic interests to facilitate the healing, community, and catharsis he knows firsthand that choir music can bring.

• released

Stand Up Now, Arr. Sean Barnette (ASCAP) - Lyricist
    available from Santa Barbara Music Publishing Co.

Thus Saith the Mother of Exiles (or, The New Colossus) - SATB, unaccompanied, 4'51".
Text by Emma Lazarus.
  Premiering Nov. 3 at FSU, Conducted by Isiah Maxey
    Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand / A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame / Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name / Mother of Exiles.
Originally written for Vox Nova Chamber Choir of St. Petersburg Florida's Gibbs High School, Thus Saith the Mother of Exiles is meant as a firm admonishment of America's current treatment of asylum seekers and immigrants by way of re-contextualizing selections from Emma Lazarus' The New Colossus (famous for its placement on the Statue of Liberty). In the poem, this "Mother of Exiles" asks for the tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to break free. But do we receive them with open arms? Are we the givers of asylum, or the oldheads with "storied pomp"?

[the cry of the cicada] - TTBB w/ Tenor solo and Piano, 3'.
Text by Matsuo Bashō.
  Premiere TBA, with Collegians at FSU, Conducted by Dr. Kevin Fenton
    the cry of the cicada / gives us no sign / that presently it will die.
[the cry of the cicada] is a meditation on gendered expectations and the repertoire we choose for "male" choirs. Set in Bb Mixolydian, this bittersweet piece re-contextualizes Matsuo Bashō's haiku discussing the fleeting beauty of nature to instead make us wonder about the enforcement of gender roles through repertoire programming choices: specifically regarding voice parts we deem too masculine for emotional vulnerability— even in art.

Dwyer's Lament - SATB w/ divisi, unaccompanied, 2'40".
Original text.
  Premiere TBD.
Much of the art surrounding delicate topics of mental health, and suicidality especially, err on the side of sweeping, uplifting messages and major chords. While this approach works for some, Dwyer's Lament aims for a more cynical— or maybe a more human— approach. Morphing slowly from small to large scale, Dwyer’s Lament makes one thing very clear: no matter how insignificant you think you are, This Will Hurt Someone.

Take Me Away Again (Peniscoladaville) - Multimedia Graphic Score, variable instrumentation, variable length.
    Premiered at Florida State University by Omnimusica / Noise Music Ensemble

Upcoming

The Life of Lou Sullivan - TTBB large work w/divisi.

Studio Album with FSU's Reverb A Capella (Release TBA):
      Featured Soloist: Love on the Brain (Rihanna), Pink + White (Frank Ocean)      Arranger: Lover, You Should've Come Over (Jeff Buckley)

Act 3, Scene 2 (He Was My Friend)

Fake Plastic Trees (Radiohead Cover)

A Quick One Before The Eternal Worm Devours The Microphone (Have A Nice Life Cover)

• The New Colossus

• [the cry of the cicada]

• Dwyer's Lament

want to purchase?
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• Take Me Away Again

commissioned
work

If you've seen anything you like and you'd like something done specifically for you, contact me! I'm always stoked to actualize something for you :)

I work pretty fast and loose with rates-- it's a sliding scale depending on turnaround, medium, complexity, and any special financial circumstances on your part.

I'm happy to do commissioned work in any of the mediums showcased here: arrangement, composition, lyrics, poetry, and mixed media collage are all fair game.