Silence #53: Pride
2 August 2024
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Voice performance exploring the transfeminine voice.
During this special Pride edition of the music series Silence, Alex Blum presents Sister Songs. A performance exploring the relationship between vocal characteristics and their expression beyond gender norms. Pitch and vocal timbre are often considered defining indicators of one's gender. Certain voices are traditionally perceived as distinctly masculine or feminine. However, what happens beyond this standardized notion? As seen in music history, there have been instances of deviations from this, such as countertenors and castrati.
As a sonic choreography, Sister Songs invites us to listen differently and to break free from traditional gender thinking.
The collaboration behind Sister Songs began as part of Alex Blum's graduation trajectory at the School for New Dance Development (SNDO) in Amsterdam. The choreography emerged in collaboration with Katrine Grarup Elbo, who, as a violinist and composer, enriched the sonic landscape and, more importantly, supported Alex as a sister and witness in their exploration of gender non-binary listening.
Alex Blum on the performance: 'Through sound and movement research of our relationship as sisters, we explored how gender politics manifest in different spaces, where some actions are seen as 'private,' such as sounds of pleasure, and others as 'public,' such as political engagements. With an interest in spaces beyond these binaries, we began developing Sister Songs in collaboration with scenographer Lou J. Seidel, who created a spatial installation for the premiere of the work at Tempel Amsterdam on March 23, 2023.'
