I am a keyboard player, composer and singer specializing in harmonic overtoning. I have been a professional musician since 1978. Up until 1988, I was a 'conventional' singer. Then, while living in Japan, I came across the information that a vocal technique existed whereby two or more pitches could be produced by a single voice simultaneously. Without even hearing an example, it was enough for me to do whatever I had to do to learn about this mysterious phenomenon. I then 'stumbled' across Jill Purce, residing in England, who taught 'Mongolian Overtone Chanting'. (She still does, world-wide). So in May 1989, I took the long way home and stopped in England for the week long intensive she was teaching. I took to it naturally, wondering why I hadn't thought of it myself. Perhaps due to the fact that I had always played by ear and had a strong affinity for harmonies, it came naturally to me. From that point onwards, it became an obsession. I researched and sought out related teachings, but most of my style and musical applications were developed on my own.
Around 1991, again living in Japan, I studied via correspondence with the Institute of Music, Health and Education based in Boulder, CO. The courses were in toning and color. Although there was no specific instruction in overtoning, it was an extremely valuable undertaking. By dissecting vowels and their effect on the body and mind, it had an enormous impact on my overall voice in terms of perception and control.
Around the same time in Japan, I was caught up in a media whirlwind. Three Japanese males and I were recruited for a prime time TV news spotlight about overtone singing. One segment involved taking us to a scientific 'salon' where we were hooked up to computers measuring our brainwaves. They were able to compare the effects of overtoning versus normal relaxation. This provided proof for me of the therapeutic applications. See the brain wave graphs for details of this experiment.
While I was a tour member of the Crash Test Dummies in '94-'95, on the 14 month world tour to support the CD God Shuffled His Feet, I was given a spotlight at each concert to demonstrate overtoning to huge audiences. Eventually I ended up putting my hands behind my back to avoid the impression that I was playing the effect on the keyboard. I had the honor of singing in London's Royal Albert Hall with Jill Purce in attendance.
After this experience, I started to take my songwriting more seriously. I found ways to incorporate overtoning into my compositions, which has certainly evolved over time.
In 1993, I had met Huun-Huur-Tu (from Tuva) backstage at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Here I sang with them and was invited to the second International Symposium of Throat Singing to be held in Tuva in '95. The following year ('94), I 'coincidentally' ran into them again in a TV studio in New York. Once again, I found myself in a room surrounded by Tuvans inviting me to their symposium. It was obviously in the cards. The planning of this trip involved at least six months of red tape.
Upon arrival in Tuva, I found myself to be one of a small number of westerners present. I was the only Canadian, as well as the only female foreigner to perform. I was given the role of judge for the competition amongst about a hundred Tuvans, mostly teenage boys. This was quite an honor, as my fellow jurors were mostly experts in Tuvan styles. Feeling rather unqualified, I was to receive a crash course in the five main categories and in trying to keep track of who's who. Originally, they wanted the dozen or so foreign performers to compete against the Tuvans, but as we flatly refused, they interspersed us throughout the program to provide relief (of the comic variety!). My category would have been 'sygyt', as it most closely resembled my style. As a judge, no decision was made without my input. It was a daunting task, but well worth the memorable sight of the grand prize winner ride off into the sunset on his new horse, in his new national costume. It is worth noting that the Oscar nominated documentary Ghengis Blues was filmed during the festival. Paul Pena was indeed a guest of honor, offering his brand of throat singing and the blues to the amazed Tuvans.
In 2001, I was invited to be one of four main stage artists at the KIEKU throat singing festival in Helsinki, Finland. The other performers were from Tuva and Mongolia. Here I met up with the all female quartet Tuva Kyzy. I attended their throat singing workshops, and I held a lecture and a workshop. I gave a solo concert at the Sibelius Academy, a stunning venue with acoustics to die for. I had given concerts focusing on overtoning before, but this is when I really pulled out all the stops. The most memorable moment was provided by a Jack Russell terrier (Dog Watson) who sang a precise and brilliantly executed solo during my tribute song to Tuva Kyzy.
In the years that followed to the present, I have developed more variations and written more songs using these elements. I have two solo CDs, The Ladder and Pulse which feature many of these. Along with overtoning, I have moved into a direction of vocalizing which uses imaginary language. My vocal influences include Bobby McFerrin, Lisa Gerrard, Sheila Chandra, Yma Sumac, Bulgarian choirs. The genre is generally referred to as world beat, as it combines cultures and their respective instrumentation. There is definitely a jazz element in much of my material.
In 2008 I was invited to the International Polyphonic Festival of Albania to perform solo. There were also live improvised vocal performances with Tanya Tagaq (Inuit throat singer) and Vladiswar Nadishana (multi-instrumentalist from Siberia). In Prague, I have improvised with the talented Yellow Sisters on a number of occasions.
I designed a workshop series that I've been teaching for nearly twenty years. It also has evolved, of course. There is enough material here to keep the student occupied for years, incorporating more of the exercises as one gains control. It is extremely satisfying to see so many pleased students with various backgrounds and goals.
I have been approached quite a few times to either record or perform 'throat singing', and even the Inuit style, although my forte is harmonic overtoning. There is still a great deal of confusion out there regarding the differences between overtone singing and throat singing. (This is covered more in the section, What is Harmonic Overtoning?)
I have been working more intensely on polyphonic overtone singing, with inspiration from Stuart Hinds and Wolfgang Saus. Along with composing for overtone choirs, I also offer the creation of vocal overtone arrangements for songs written by others, singable by experienced polyphonic overtone singers. My compositions are published here. Some of my works have polyphonic overtone parts and up-tempo rhythms, incorporating pop and jazz elements not commonly associated with overtone singing.
I am a tenor and soloist member of the European Overtone Choir, which meets three times a year for a week at a time. Steffen Schreyer, award winning choral conductor and Wolfgang Saus are the mediators. In April /09 they premiered my composition 'One by One', and in July /09, 'The Dawning of the New World'. Twice in 2010 they performed my arrangement of Graham Shaw's 'Only Waiting'. As a former member of Spektrum overtone choir (Prague), I now join them periodically as a guest in teaching and introducing my compositions.
From February /09, I started a new year-round series of workshops through Alikvotni Festival (Prague) called 'Monochord'. A new season starts in September /10.
I conduct my own overtone choir, AURALIA, based in Prague. The repertoire is almost entirely my original compositions, with a few arrangements of other artists' material.