Fallen Petals of Nameless Flowers is a musical and spoken-word work by composer Jeff Scott, based on poetry by Robert Laidler and materials compiled by Bryan Jones. The piece tells the stories of four men from Michigan who were sentenced to life without parole as juveniles and later released following a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Through a poignant metaphor of flowers and petals, the work explores their experiences, with music and spoken word.

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This work was commissioned by Chamber Music Detroit and premiered in 2022.

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The poetry, written by Robert Laidler, the text draws from interviews he conducted with four men who had been serving mandatory life sentences for crimes committed as juveniles.

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The work centers on juvenile lifers—individuals sentenced to life without parole before the U.S. Supreme Court declared the practice unconstitutional for minors in 2012.

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Fallen Petals of Nameless Flowers uses floral imagery to represent the men themselves. The petals symbolize their arms, and their stories illuminate the emotional toll of disproportionate sentencing, as well as the complex journey toward release and reintegration.

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Review:

Scattered to the Winds | Chamber Music America