" ...in the morning, I do 2 hours tabla practice as a form of meditation."
The last installment in a series of diary entries by women composers, curated by Writer and Performer Sarah Sayeed.
Sound Travel. The uncovering of new frequencies. I initially breath the sounds and let them absorb into my being. I then transpose the sound into an instrument I play or a composition. Sound travel has no form. It is like ether, it passes through one's body and like dust it settles into subconscious psyche, conscious and sub-conscious.
Berlin music production Berlin winter
I try not to use cut & paste pastiches of gender & cultural identity.
Berlin meanderings Berlin music instruments and travel
Rishikesh, lower Himalaya, India
My productions/compositions are now gradually leaning towards the more abstract. I hear sounds so differently now. They are currently a therapy for me rather than a manifesto for my ego.
Music is maths. I wake up in the morning, I do 2 hours tabla practice as a form of meditation. It is a daily ritual, like jogging, making a cup of tea or doing namaz/puja.
I feel my voice/music/message has, in the last few years, become more free, more clear and more sincere.
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Credits
Would like to thank all of the artists who offered their photography and candid, personal thoughts to the Sound Travels exhibition: Shama Rahman, Yumi Hara, Laura Reid, Henrietta Rolla-Smith, Colette Dutot and Renu Hossain.
The women have been extremely open and honest with their own experiences and this wealth and quality of material offered has allowed for a really enjoyable curating process.
The images have been provided courtesy of the artists. Credit to Ed Robinson at Clearspace Photography for his photographic images of Colette Dutot.
Many thanks to all the staff at the British Music Collection who generously offered their time in allowing me to view archive materials of compositions and the work of documented female composers. There are relatively few women composers recorded in comparison to the male composers but nevertheless it was promising to see that the work of women musicians and composers is being recorded and acknowledged. I hope this work continues through this wonderful resource at Heritage Quay.
Finally I would like to thank Sound and Music for the curatorial space and opportunity. It has been amazing to be a part of building Google Cultural Institute's exhibition collection and I'm really grateful to Sound and Music for selecting me for this particular area of women composers, diversity and visibility. It has been a pleasure.
Sarah Sayeed
Musician and Composer
Photo credit: Clive Hunte