If I Told Him was inspired by the works of JacobTV and Ben Nobuto. I came across a recording of Gertrude Stein reciting her poem If I Told Him: A Completed Portrait of Picasso. After years of collaboration and friendship, Stein and Picasso became estranged. About a decade later, Stein learned of Picasso’s troubling behavior in his personal life—knowledge that fueled her to write this sharp, rhythmic, almost slam-like poem about him.
 
When I first heard the recording, I was in awe—not only of the poem’s intricate craftsmanship, but also of how fearlessly Stein dismantles Picasso through her words. What resonated most with me was the sense of female empowerment and her unflinching callout of misogyny. This energy inspired me to compose a cubist-style piece to accompany Stein’s recitation—fragmented, layered, and bold—reflecting both the complexity of her words and the defiance behind them.
 
Instrumentation: piano and fixed media
Duration: 3:40