The dichotomy between expression and structure in whale song has been a point of study since the early twentieth-century when they were first recorded. Our initial relationships with animals are often scientific versus emotional. However, humpback whales create through complex, continuously evolving songs; this is their music. We are interested in being musically connected to whales, highlighting similarities in creative language.
Whale scholars have studied the songs of humpback whales and identified a structure comprised of small motivic units. The whales repeat and develop these units to create seemingly improvisatory phrases that become songs. A song session results from a varying sequential series of songs. Many composers have written works that emulate the aesthetic qualities of humpback whale songs. Our project is different because we are interested in structures versus aesthetics. The musical units created by the flute and clarinet repeat and develop using improvisation. The electronics provide a sonic context for the piece to exist. Every performance is made up of new units to emulate the continuously evolving nature of whale songs.
A larger motivation for Song Sessions is to reach beyond the traditional concert experience to connect audiences with our environment in a time of crisis. We hope this project will cultivate a community of people that wouldn’t normally come to a concert through integrating activism, science, and art. Song Sessions contributes to debates in environmental degradation, climate change, and the conservation of endangered animals across the planet. We look forward to collaborating with scholars, aquariums, and advocates to continue a dialogue about the impact of ocean pollution and whaling.
Thanks to a generous grant from New Music USA, and a residency at mise-en-place in Bushwick, Brooklyn, we have developed and refined the work since 2018.