Melissa Dunphy

Composed for Voice of this Generation and Network for New Music.

June is a setting of poetry about personal growth and healing through two snapshots, a year apart. Any range of vocalist can perform this song, which creates self-harmonies through the use of a looper pedal.

June was also used in the creation of the aerial dance theatre piece Break/Drift/Resist by Tangle Arts Movement for the 2013 Philadelphia FringeArts Festival.

"Best of all was Melissa Dunphy's "June." Baritone Brian Ming Chu's unaccompanied voice was electronically reprised in canonic counterpoint, growing into four or five voices playing leapfrog with one another. The first of the two songs explored Lauren Rile Smith's poem about the lethargy of summer heat with great poetic control, neatly scaling back the electronic activity when necessary but ultimately conveying, with considerable mastery, the delirium of congested thought patterns. More, please." [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Listening to “June” by Melissa Dunphy evokes a strong sense of nostalgia and introspection within me. The haunting melody combined with the poignant lyrics transports me to moments of my own past, where I have grappled with unanswered questions and sought closure.The song reminds me of occasions when I have found solace in taking the long way and allowing time to heal wounds. It speaks to the universal experience of navigating the complexities of relationships and the often elusive nature of closure and understanding. “June” resonates with me on a personal level as it taps into the universal emotions surrounding love, loss, and the passage of time. It serves as a reminder to embrace vulnerability, engage with the past, and find peace within oneself. Overall, “June” by Melissa Dunphy is a beautifully introspective song that delves into the depths of human emotion. Its haunting melody and evocative lyrics invite listeners to reflect on their own experiences, relationships, and personal journeys in search of meaning and contentment.
—An analysis of The Meaning Behind The Song: June by Melissa Dunphy. [OldTimeMusic]

* * *

June
By Lauren Rile Smith

#1
In the hot room surrounded by fans, touching
my dirty fingertips, sweating inside my shirt.
The house is a slow oven. I go shopping in my own past--
those well-worn handles, broken jars, alone with you.
Can you let me know, the sound that travels back.
And then I was in the hallway with the big empty cart,
its hollow boom that echoed with each roll. A perfect mess,
Why wouldn't you just say hunger? Why wouldn't you?

#2
I take the long way there. It's been a year and I've got
time in a pocket, fingerprint bruises,
deep breaths that make clouds. The running stops.
The rush of days don't care about your heart.
Where were we, with the sky ripening
at sunset, with the branches forming cages overhead?
Where were your words? Now, I am: soundless, happy,
another pin on the trestle, spoke on the wheel.

Artwork by Nimish Gogri.

Performances

• 22 Aug, 2024: Elenora Claps at Monastero di Sant'Ippolito - Monticchio, Atella, Italy
• 19 Apr, 2024: Amy Petrongelli (Khemia Ensemble) at Van Dyke Performance Space, Greensboro, NC
• 01 Nov, 2023: Rose Hegele at Recital Studio, University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music College of Fine Arts, Austin, TX
• 20 May, 2023: Jessica Lennick at Moorestown Library, Moorestown, NJ
• 16 Jul, 2022: Rose Hegele with Sarah Cahill at Center for New Music, San Francisco, CA
• 27 Apr, 2022: Juliet Schlefer at McIntosh Theater, Moore Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
• 13 Aug, 2021: Amy Petrongelli at Indianapolis Central Library, Indianapolis, IN
• 08 May, 2021: National Arts Diversity Integration Association at Amplified Currents Festival of the Arts (online)
• 13 Apr, 2021: Khemia Ensemble at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of the Arts, Milwaukee, WI
• 12 Apr, 2021: Motomi Tanaka at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
• 25 Mar, 2021: Amy Petrongelli at Music by Women Festival, Columbus, MS
• 31 Jul, 2020: Amy Petrongelli (Khemia Ensemble) at Mizzou International Composers Festival, Sinquefield Music Center Parking Lot, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
• 20 Jun, 2019: Eleonora Claps at The Loreto Theater, New York, NY
• 10 Aug, 2018: Caitlin Mead at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, WI
• 25 May, 2018: Mickey Miller at The Parlor, Baton Rouge, LA
• 20 Apr, 2018: MaryKate Core at First United Methodist Church, Lake Charles, LA
• 17 Feb, 2018: Maureen Batt at Martin Biello Studio, Philadelphia, PA
• 06 Jan, 2018: Maureen Batt at Open Waters Festival, DalArts Centre, Halifax, NS
• 24 Jan, 2015: Maureen Batt at St. Andrew's Church, Halifax, NS
• 05 Sep, 2013 - 07 Sep, 2013: Jessica Lennick (recorded) and Tangle Movement Arts at Philadelphia Soundstages, PA
• 05 Jul, 2013: Jessica Lennick (recorded) and Tangle Movement Arts at Dixon Place, NYC
• 12 Oct, 2012: Brian Ming-Chu at Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia