Kevin Gunia
composer and pianist

"Fo Da Peopo"

In October 2019, I visited Leslie at his home in Oxford, England. One morning we took a long walk along the River Thames. It was a cool day with the sun peeking out from the clouds. The ground was quite muddy from overnight rain. We passed many friendly people (with their dogs); the journey was full of insightful and deep conversation. As an American, I was struck by what I felt to be a quintessential British experience. Long after my return home, I remembered this morning in particular. All of these aspects came together to musically represent both the experience and my dear friend.