This composition is inspired by my frequent visits to the woods and experiencing the sounds of its inhabitants, even those of small creatures, in the state of how all living creatures and inanimate objects take part in the wood’s symphony.
This piece seeks to explore the relationship between noise, soundscapes, and their impact upon the imagination. The interactive installation consists of two instruments—ney and qanun. Both instruments are blended to create a soundscape of loss, worry, pain, and fear. The “flavor” comes from the sorrowful touch being played by the ney which is heard simultaneously with the chaotic and frantic pounding coming from the qanun.
When I first started working on this piece, I experimented with the sounds generated by the qanun. After that, I began layering vocal and electronic sounds to create an accompaniment to the original sound. The qanun and the vocal are being used as part of the soundscape to create a mental image of danger and disturbance and create an atmosphere of unrest and fear. The soundscapes were then shared with my friend Faris Ishaq, a Palestinian ney master, who improvised in response to them. Both instruments can be heard flitting in and out and sometimes are not identifiable to their original sounds.
The experimental composing method I used here is a reflection of my curiosity, interests, as well as observations driven by my passion for finding and exploring new sounds. It asks, "Can sound be shaped in different ways? And how does it affect our understanding of the world?" These questions stem from the realization that timbre, texture, rhythm, and melodic movement are all inextricably related.
As this piece relies heavily on sound-based improvisations, unpredictable harmonies, and odd metrical patterns, I attempted to build a new format for the qanun that I see as space for myself to break free from the traditional mold of qanun performance.
As part of an experimental framework, this work aimed to expand qanun’s potentialities while opening up compositional possibilities that arise from its use in a broader range of improvisational techniques. In this approach, I attempted to deviate from the stagnant, monotonous foundations of classical context. It also integrates elements of harmonic sounds along with repetitive sound patterns to elicit an "atmospheric" quality that seeks to invoke a sense of wonder, curiosity, observation, and longing in relation to the theme of exile and re-exile. It also combines the use of maqam (modes) with rhythmic textures, including the ambience and the vocal element.
Working on this composition shows how experimenting with extended techniques opens up a new dimension of interaction with the ensemble and develops a deeper understanding of the qanun and its manipulability.
To communicate the diversity of things that inspire me, I choose to focus on incorporating free-improvisation and create music that exists in a framework that allows for unpredictability."
Diary (02/12/2019)
"The woods is a place of discovery, of fun, and a place where the senses are heightened."
(Diary 02/03/2021)
