Ununderstanding

for SSAATTB

“a private language carried about us, them. ununderstanding.”

Stretched out phonemes and convoluted counterpoint makes the text mostly "ununderstandable." The text was initially recorded with my voice. After evaluating the pitch content by means of spectral analysis, I assigned the most significant pitches and their contours to the voices, which sing the harmonies that resonate when the text is spoken. The piece can be divided into three distinct sections [a private language; carried about us, them; ununderstanding]. The second section is interrupted with an “interlude” of sorts where the voices resemble speech, briefly replicating the original vocal recording. The three main sections each have stagnating harmonies that expand each phoneme and it isn't until the interlude that the listener has the opportunity to gain a clear understanding of the text.

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