WORD SOUND
Sound a word or a sound.
Listen for a surprise.
Say a word as a sound.
Say a sound as a word.
Say a sound until it is a word.
Sound a word until is is a sound.
Speak a sentence of sounds.
Sing a phrase of words.
Cross overs.
April 2, 1996
Evanston, Illinois
The score makes many references to identity and to changes in the identity of the words. The score juxtaposes the nouns "word" and "sound" and the verbs "say" and "sound." Initially the score asks the performer to "sound" a word or a sound, demonstrating that to "sound" a "word" or "sound" is lexically coherent. We are shown that "word" is both encompassed in "sound" and distinguished from it. "Listen for a surprise." establishes a mind set for the enacting of the following instructions.
"Say" is introduced as a verb associated with orally manifesting words. At first, it is paired with "as a"; expressing a comparison, and again showing their uniqueness, but asking the performer to begin to consider them alike (both can be sounded and said). The score then calls for the performer to perform "cross overs" changing sounds and words from one identity ("is") to another. (While the expression "cross overs" is not used until the last line of the piece, it is important to note that the score does not ask the performer to remove the separateness of "word" and "sound" but to use the associated actions (saying, and sounding) to transmutate one into the other.)
Next the expressive actions of speaking and singing are introduced. Lastly, the performer is asked to perform "cross overs." I interpreted the score as asking for cross overs between the intentions of singing, speaking, saying, sounding, words, and sounds.
The word sound does not exclusively imply oral manifestation. Many things may be perceived as sounding. Saying, speaking, and singing all imply human oral production. Once cross overs are possible, and the boundaries between these distinctions become permeable, opportunities for non-human oral saying, speaking, and singing, are introduced. Or, everything is given a mouth, a voice, a message, and a song.
I love this piece! I think the improvisation we performed together a few weeks ago in class was directly inspired by this, although I hadn't remembered it at the time. Cross overs is such a great term and I really appreciate your interpretation of it. Do you find it easier to sound a word or say a sound??
ReplyDeleteI find them both somewhat easy. I've developed my faculties for saying sound with speaking nonsense languages or speaking language facsimiles for fun. Sounding words is something I sometimes do when practicing music (i.e. counting a polyrhythm "not-diff-i-cult" or 7/4 time signature "poo-dle-poo-dle-fac-tor-y"). There are other contexts as well in which I've had this sense. The cross-overs was more novel though I've had that experience as well usually in musical contexts or playing with words.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your analysis A.B.E. of Cross Overs. I am referring to the different functions of the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Left hemisphere concerned with meaning or saying, right hemisphere concerned with sounding.
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