Today I will bring your attention to a few composers of overtone music. By this, I mean those that actually score their pieces. Mostly, these artists compose for overtones choirs, where some or all the singers are skilled in overtone singing. Often, the notation requires singers to be able to sing polyphonically, with fundamentals and overtones moving contrapuntally. Some of the pieces do not require a high level of skill and most singers are capable of the directions. And of course, there are those that score out solo pieces as well.
The genres covered by overtone composers also vary- from New Age to New Classical to pop/ experimental and beyond.
The styles of notation in overtone music vary slightly from one to the other, but perhaps in future there will be a universal standard set of ‘rules’ that everyone can follow. When Karlheinz Stockhausen composed his ‘Stimmung‘ in 1968, he used quite a different and complex system based upon vowels rather than a numbering system commonly used today.
So, besides myself being one of these composers, here is a partial list of some more. (I will eventually add more to this list in further blogs). I have sung compositions in overtone choirs from the first four mentioned here.
Sarah Hopkins (Australia)
Stuart Hinds (USA)
Linda Alexandersson (Sweden)
Baird HerseyUSA)
Lothar BergerGermany)
For examples of some of my overtone notation for choir, click here.
CommentIn the late 80′s, someone gave me a cassette with examples of overtone singing around the world at the time. I’d only just heard of overtone singing myself, so none of the names were recognizable yet. Julia Heyward was one of them. She began her career in the 70′s, very early for this type of music, which was minimally seen in those days. She combined performance art, multi- media events which included working with Laurie Anderson. Her latest activities seem to be centered around giving presentations and lectures, most recently November 2010, with new media works.
It is truly avant- garde and over-the-top. The piece of music I have linked here is the only one I had access to at the time. The various textures she created proved to me the vastness of flavors the voice is capable of. Some of it, (third section) I didn’t even realize was a human voice (this might be done along with the nose flute, but I’m not sure). Anyone know for sure? There was no electronic trickery involved. She manages to combine yodeling, overtoning and lyrics simultaneously. She demonstrates not only amazing technique and improvisational ability, but a certain silliness that tends to endear yours truly. It’s in the spirit of child-like innocence and experimentation. Her sheer lack of inhibition is truly inspirational to me. I think that from that point on, my life purpose altered somewhat to include this scope of “I don’t care what anyone thinks!” What freedom!
This attitude has led me down a sideways path of performance opportunities. There are some I’d describe as ‘shamanic’ for lack of a better word. When I’m on stage, whether it’s solo or unrehearsed guest spots with other musicians (particularly percussionists, but the most gratifying has been a few occasions with Tanya Tagaq, Inuit throat singer), I go into a more or less trance state, and the audience barely exists. The body moves of its own accord. Usually this dance like activity only happens in my living room. Every now and then, I’ll poke my head up and remember the wisdom of connecting with your audience. Which seems to shake them up even more.
So, if vocal improvisation is a calling in your life, I highly recommend Julia Heyward as a leaping off point. And BTW, if you ever get the chance to study with Bobby McFerrin, go for it. I’ve been trying for years.
blog post about Julia Heyward from Nov 2010
The most well known track from Julia Heyward- Mongolian Face Slap
A fantastic gigantic resource for avant- garde artists of all descriptions is ubuweb.com
What comes to mind when much of the general public thinks about overtone singing (if they think about it at all), is usually a spiritual idea of meditation/ healing music. Or, they make the mistake of thinking that throat singing is the same thing. It isn’t. Anyway, lots of improvisation goes on in overtone singing. I have a feeling that most of it is improvisation, because not very much of it is based in notated compositions. Perhaps because it has not yet fully evolved to the point where enough people who are really skilled at it have contributed such compositions.
I’m really happy for the people who can go to a full concert of a soloist or choir performing the new age style of overtone singing and feel satisfied. More power to them. It’s just that a full evening of this leaves me rather numb. Maybe because one of my favorite groups of all time is Steely Dan. I love having my ears turned into origami from all the wild, weird and wonderful unexpected chord changes.
Improvising with overtones on a background of constantly changing chord structures requires that you learn the rules, absorb them into your cellular memory, then forget about them as you bravely intuit each new fundamental/ overtone combination. Once you have it, it’s vocal expression at its ultimate. (Please just be sure never to sing the 5th or 10th overtone with the fundamental being the root in a minor key).
Of course, one can just as easily improvise with overtones completely a cappella. It stands to reason that you can get away with a lot more than when you are following an instrumental part.
That being said, I encourage overtone singers everywhere to look to the future, to take it beyond the drone. There is unlimited potential here, albeit a bit more mathematically challenging, but what the hey? Progress!
Here’s a great link for those interested in experimental music to meet up with like-minded people in your own location.
CommentI have a great concept which I think may revolutionize choir singing around the world.
For anyone unfamiliar with overtone singing, it is a technique whereby a single voice produces two pitches simultaneously. I’ve been teaching this technique (actually several techniques involved in overtone singing) for 20 years. Now I have a 3 level online video course. I am a composer of overtone music for choir. I direct my own overtone choir AURALIA, writing and/or arranging all the repertoire. There are elements of pop, jazz, world beat, experimental and ‘new classical’.
So, my idea goes like this. You see, my compositions usually contain lyrical content which almost any choir is capable of singing. Choir directors everywhere check out my scores. If they are interested in adding any of them to their repertoire, (or continuing along these lines) they can approach any likely candidates from their members to study overtone singing. It’s not necessary for every choir member to be skilled at overtone singing. But just a few could add an astounding new acoustical phenomenon to the choir’s sound. While the choir director leads the rehearsal of the regular lyrical parts, the overtone singers (or soloists in some cases) are being coached with special videos I create specifically for the composition in question. Then, they all get together and create this magnificent blended sound.
Think of it as the ‘IT’ factor applied to a whole group as opposed to a single artist (the plural being ‘IT’s'? Monty Python comes to mind). Think of it as the icing on the cake. And eating it too. Think of it as taking your choir up a notch.
Whenever possible, if travel permits, I can even join some of these choirs in person, as a guest conductor or overtone soloist. At the same time, I can offer an intensive workshop weekend with all the choir members.
Sound like a good idea? Let’s get started.
Here’s some examples of my scores for overtone choir.
Here’s a video- Auralia singing my overtone arrangement of Pink Floyd’s ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’.
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