Monday 21 January 2019 // 15:00-16:00 // Fjordgata 1, 7010 Trondheim // Department of Musicology (ZEB building), Sem Sælands vei 2, 0371 Oslo

Tone Åse. Photo by Geir Mogen.
Tone Åse. Photo by Geir Mogen.

Abstract

In this talk, Åse will demonstrate and discuss how the use of live electronics has expanded the artistic material and methods for her as a vocalist in her different formats; solo, duo, instrumental ensemble and vocal ensemble. She will also discuss some experienced challenges and limitations in the field of live electronics and improvisation. The talk will be based on Åse doctoral work in artistic research (2009-2012), and will focus on the following:

  • How new organizing of voice sound, and the possibility of transforming the sound, opens up for new musical roles for the vocalist in the improvised interplay - not only in the ensemble but also in the solo performance.
  • Relating to the work of Andreas Bergsland (Bergsland NTNU 2010): How the processed voice sound can be perceived as operating in a continuum between the maximal and minimal voice, and, through this model, also operating in relation to what we can experience as central/ peripheral zones. Through processing, the grades of distance from natural sound creates specific types of artistic material.
  • How the experience of ”naturalness” and also ”meaning”, becomes central parameters in the musical play with voice and live electronics. In this perspective, investigating places along the continuum that moves between text/lyrics, words ‘words’/utterings , human sound, ‘not-human sound’, is especially interesting.
  • How the use of live electronics in the improvising vocal ensemble in a similar way can expand the musical expression.
  • Experienced challenges: how does the available technology and skills affect our musical thinking and acting?

References

Bio

Working with electronic voice-sound and acoustic voice sound, Tone Åse interacts with her fellow musicians both as a singer and as a soundmaker, stretching the instrumental capabilities of the voice and the live electronics in the improvised interplay. Her work is very much developed through her collaborations, with her trio BOL, her duo Voxpheria, and a range of other projects. Her experimental work with the vocal ensemble started as a founding member of Kvitretten (1991-2001) and continued as a member of, and for 2006-2011 artistic leader of, the improvising vocal ensemble Trondheim Voices. Her work with voice and live electronics has thus been the subject for her doctoral work within the Norwegian Artistic Research Programme (2008-2012). Åse has released several CD’s with her groups and also composed music for film, theatre, various ensembles and projects. Åse is from 2012 Associate professor at Department of Music, NTNU.

Live Stream Recording of the Event


A talk hosted at the Department of Music, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim and live streamed through the MCT Portal to the University of Oslo (UiO) and also through YouTube. The audience combines two physical sites (from Oslo and Trondheim) plus online viewers from all over the world.

Video Credits

Speaker: Tone Åse

Presenter (Trondheim): Anna Xambó

Presenter (Oslo): Mari Lesteberg

Production (Trondheim): Karolina Jawad

Production (Oslo): Mari Lesteberg

Streaming, Audio, Video (Trondheim): Eigil Aandahl, Sepehr Haghighi Jørgen Nygård Varpe, Shreejay Shrestha

Audio, Video (Oslo): Espen Wik, Elias Andersen

Audio processing: Sepehr Haghighi

Intro Video: Karolina Jawad

Seminar Series Curation: Anna Xambó

Acknowledgments: Robin Støckert, Daniel Formo, Anders Tveit, Alexander Refsum Jensenius

Supported by: Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), University of Oslo (UiO)

In collaboration with: Master in Music, Communication and Technology (MCT)