Jelani N. Surpris is a composer from Atlanta, Georgia (USA). His work aims to illustrate intimate narratives to broaden our global empathy and discourse pertaining to blackness, taboo, and the mundane. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Composition and certificates in Public Musicology and Audio Technology from Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music. He has had the great fortune of studying composition under the guidance of Dr. James Ogburn (2019-23), Juan Trigos (2022), and Francesca Verunelli (2023-present). Surpris now resides in Boston, Massachusetts, where he has begun his studies at Harvard University in Music Composition with Hans Tutschku and Chaya Czernowin.