Inspired by the sound piece I made in response to last weeks lecture surrounding the voice and sound manipulation, I continued to play with the way in which I could exhale, experimenting with staccato type exhalations, mindful breathing, throat exercises, sounding of vowels and nasal sounds. These experiments spurred me to research into sound art surrounding the breath, eventually leading me to Ruth Anderson’s piece ‘I Come Out Of Your Sleep’.
Taking Louis Bogan’s poem ‘Little Lobelia’, Ruth Anderson created a sound poem by elongating the vowels from the text in a ghostly fashion. These phonemes, whispered in a way that reminds me of modern day A.S.M.R, were intentionally voiced at a ‘very soft dynamic level’, just audible enough that they could perhaps go unnoticed if other environmental textures were present at the time of listening. This delicate delivery and curation of breath is reminiscent of haunting winds, yet soothing and sleep inducing at the same time. This minimal composition creates subtle melodic tones using the same techniques I have seen in other forms of Musique Concrete but also takes on the form of an almost meditative experience. What struck me as most interesting however, was her statement that her study of of Zen was “a natural extension of her music,” and that she had cited Pauline Oliveros and her Sonic Meditations as one of her main influences.
These findings have made me ponder on the relationship between musique concrete and meditation. I feel that Musique Concrete encourages the individual to be more aware of the possibilities in sound, extending to those one can make with the body, whilst meditation, dating back to its ancient forms, have always placed importance on the natural sounds around us, as well as self produced sounds for meditation, such as Tibetan throat singing. When the two are combined it can create opportunities to discover more in ways in which we can reconnect with our mind and body using creative practices.
References
DeLaurenti, Christopher. “Ruth Anderson: Uncaged Music – the Wire.” The Wire Magazine – Adventures in Modern Music, www.thewire.co.uk/in-writing/essays/ruth-anderson-uncaged-music. Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.
“Louise Bogan.” Wikipedia, 14 Feb. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Bogan. Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.
“Ruth Anderson (Composer).” Wikipedia, 10 Aug. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Anderson_(composer). Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.
“Throat Singing: A Unique Vocalization from Three Cultures.” Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, folkways.si.edu/throat-singing-unique-vocalization-three-cultures/world/music/article/smithsonian.