Internal Tide

8 minutes

• viola or cello and overtone vocalist

Commissioned by Erika Eckert, originally titled, “Down the Stream.”

Erika Eckert and I first met over a discussion of overtone singing at a holiday party. Our friendship was basically immediate and our shared interest in overtones (harmonic series) was a fast acting super-glue. Together we explored the various vocal contortions required for this sort of singing and the highly focused listening that occurs as a result. Recently, during one of our many kaleidoscopic discussions on art, music, and life, Erika challenged me to compose the music that hums at my core – music that is unfettered with any filtration of style, judgement, or appropriateness to an audience. This piece is the result.