Humming As Sonic Art

The big HMMM on St. Laurent St. should make people feel like they’re swimming in ocean of vocal sound.

This coming week Mar. 24 is cancelled. I thought I’d better take a week off soon just to ensure that I keep myself fresh and motivated.
The last 2 weeks have been really lovely, with a small but committed group of singers/improvisors. Did I mention the time we tried singing the old english round and became so irreverant that we nearly died laughing. Under the guise of “improv” we kept speaking the words with different meanings that turned into actions until we were all literally climbing the walls. HYSTERICALLY FUNNY!!!!!!!
With a group of 9 people or less, the listening possibilities are richer by default. That seems to encourage us into the beauty of listening… as much as emoting. Pleasure pleasure pleasure.

For the initial pages about the HMMM project go to:
http://www.kathykennedy.ca/news/news.html

and also:
http://www.kathykennedy.ca/music/m_sonic.html
and click on the HMMM link.

xx
kk

The HMMM soundtrack, which people are using for remixes, was originally recorded at Oboro’s sound studio in Montreal. We used a special surround sound mike called a Holophone. In the booth it made the most beautiful image. Have a look!!

I’m going to try to make notes on each workshop so that the information can be here and available for us all. Hopefully y’all can make comments and add to anything I may have forgotten.

Since there was a relatively small group (8) we started our regular humming exercise by sitting back-to-back in pairs. This allows each person to feel the respiratory activity of the other, but not much in terms of vibration among women. There was a bit more feeling with the males, who have lower notes that resonate more in the rib cage and spine.
Next we sang a familiar song (for each of us) as slowly as possible coupled with a slow walk. This was very beautiful and kept everyone in a blissful state. I noticed that hearing other people’s notes and words gave me different impressions about my own song. Also, balance lies very much in the domain of the ear, and walking slowly is quite a challenge for me!
Immediately after that was a completely free improv that went on for a good while.
After that, in a circle we played a game of determining the opposite of a sound given by each person, one after each other. Interesting, ear-opening responses!
We were in such an improvisational, uninhibited mood that when I brought out a piece of conventional music notation with an old english canon called “follow me,” that things began to get wonderfully out of hand! We all began making fun of the words with so much humour and interaction that it soon broke into movement and pure unadulterated hysteria. I’ve rarely laughed so hard!!
After a while it calmed down into actual singing, then a good rehearsal of the javanese monkeychant. Instead of swearing, but with the same level of declamation we all yelled, “Fun almighty!!”

This is so exciting. I will be updating as much information as I can about the fascinating process that is ensuing through my project HMMM. The current goal is toward a huge performance piece that will occur along St. Laurent St., from Sherbrooke to Laurier st. 500 people would be nice but bigger would obviously be better. How can I get you to come and hum along?? Let me know.
There’s more info about the project at http://www.kathykennedy.ca/news/news.html