Graphic score

This piece was born as an attempt to materialize a situation we witnessed on a bus in Chicago. In this context, the clash of different languages and the confusion of translation gave rise to an uncomfortable yet flavorful scene. The initial sketches took the form of precarious notes to capture what was observed, then it was translated into sound. To achieve this, I used a percussive treatment of the guitar based on the resonance of its open strings. I altered these by creating two groups of tunings (each consisting of 3 consecutive strings) in such a way that these would vibrate according to the part of the body that has been hit.

On the other hand, the recited voice plays a game of question and answer with an automated translation. This robotic attempt aims to exemplify everything that is lost when translating ideas from the native language to acquired ones. The graphic score arises as a result of some guiding drawings I made during the composition process, and with the idea of not wasting any material, it seemed like a good opportunity to open up its interpretation.

Thanks to my friend Sarah Lutkenhaus, who not only helped me with the best strategies for illustrating my ideas but also with the layout of the score.

I don’t consider my version to be definitive one, and I believe I am still working on expressing these discomforts in a sonic form. It’s a first attempt.

Live at High Concept Labs in the context of Waveforms 2023 (SAIC 2023):

Graphic score for download: