The DC Mixtape of "As You Like It"

Composer KOKAYI and sound designer and lyricist Miki Vale discuss creating the DC-inspired soundscape for As You Like It. Shakespeare’s song-filled comedy is onstage at Folger Theatre beginning March 10.

DC has so many great bands and music styles. How did you approach this when designing the soundscape for As You Like It?

KOKAYI: Once Karen Ann Daniels and I started to talk about what the world would look like and her vision of what that would sound like, I just tapped into all the stuff that I knew growing up here and the deep, rich musical history that DC has. Our indigenous form of music Go-Go is a heavy, percussive-based music, which has a lot of call and response, very akin to the church, which is just Black music overall.

Then I was thinking about the lineage of DC music with punk rock, like Bad Brains, and artists such as Marvin Gaye, Duke Ellington, Roberta Flack, Donnie Hathaway—through his time and studies at Howard University—and the way that I was brought up with music in DC public schools as well as how every neighborhood had a Go-Go band.

There’s an original song called “We Are Arden” that opens the show and is reprised at times. Can you tell us about that work?

MIKI VALE: Karen Ann wanted a song to welcome everyone. I’m not from DC; I’m from the West Coast. “We Are Arden” will open the show and make sure that everybody feels that this is a space for them.

KOKAYI: This may not be your origin, but it’s your current destination. That’s similar to DC’s aesthetic, too. We welcome a lot of people. It’s a transient city. Just because you live here doesn’t mean that you don’t like the people who move here. And when you are from here, you really try to hip them to what’s going on. It’s just neighborly.

In addition to the welcoming tone, the song refers to the famous “Seven Ages of Man” speech in the play, too. Can you say more about that?

You can wrestle with your feelings
No matter what your age
From the court to the country
Arden is your stage
Civilian veteran or soldier
Toddler or ancient elder,
Arden’s here to hold ya

(Excerpt from “We Are Arden”)

MIKI VALE: Karen Ann had certain phrases that she wanted to make sure were included, and she just wanted me to work them in a rhythmic order, but overall she just wanted it to be very welcoming—to feel like it doesn’t matter where you’re from. Yes, this is a very Washington, DC-based production; however, it doesn’t matter where you’re from, this is our world tonight.

As You Like It has several well-known songs, including “Under the greenwood tree,” “Blow, blow thou winter wind,” and “It was a lover and his lass.” Can you share more about how these songs will be performed and reimagined for this production?

KOKAYI: There are six songs in addition to “We are Arden,” and that was intentional for Karen Ann, too. She sent me a missive: “Here are the vibes. This song should have an Afrobeat kind of vibe, this one should have some Go-Go, or punk rock, or a ballad.” She sent me that in the very beginning with Shakespeare’s songs and a deep playlist.

MIKI VALE: I love what you did with the music on “We Are Arden.” You still included that DC sound through the inclusion of Go-Go. It’s like DC is holding you; the music is holding the lyrics to welcome you in.