Borderless Dreams (Link to YouTube Recording)
For Flute & Piano 
Composer: Arturo “Artie” Rodriguez
Completion Date: December 2, 2025
 
Premiered on March 14, 2026, at the ¿Quiénes Somos? Concert to Benefit Make the Road NJ. 
Borderless Dreams was commissioned and premiered on March 14 by Juan Carlos Narvaez for the ¿Quiénes Somos?concert benefiting Make the Road NJ. The work explores the psychological landscape of migrants seeking shelter in a new land. It invites the listener to reflect on their journey: What are they experiencing? What is their mindset? Where do they see themselves?
 
I envision this piece as both a physical and emotional journey toward finding comfort in a new place. I reference America from West Side Story as a symbolic destination, and I draw inspiration from the final moments of Up, where the house arrives at the place the protagonists had long dreamed of reaching.
 
Life is a journey, right? This work imagines that perspective through the lens of the immigrant—whether traveling or simply dreaming of what lies ahead. At our core, we all seek security and a sense of belonging.
 
Like much of my music, Borderless Dreams is also a call to action. It raises awareness for vulnerable communities living in a time when those in power often use fear and misinformation to portray immigrants as the enemy. Being “Brown” is too often treated as being less than, while Black, Brown, MENA, and Asian communities continue to face systemic mistreatment. Remember this, the United States was built on the backs of non-white folks. That is the honest truth that history has taught us. 

This piece is about narrative, about mindset, and ultimately about belonging. ¿Quiénes Somos? asks, “Who are we?” And perhaps, in asking that question, we begin to find the answers we need for the years ahead.