![]() Mary Kouyoumdjian–Photo by Dominica Eriksen Eventually, the choristers laid a sonorous open vowel foundation, infusing possibility into a sea of buzzing and percussive consonants. (The original Dessoff Choir commission featured Roomful of Teeth on a pre-recorded electronic track.) Drawing from a Kierkegaard metaphor that paints consonants as necessities and vowels as possibilities, Roomful of Teeth attempted to speak with no vowels, resulting in guttural, strained, and choked utterances. Greenstein’s AEIOU (2009) offered a sonic look back at the seeds that would become the hallmarks of Roomful of Teeth’s sound: rattling bass drones, effortlessly floating soprano lines, kaleidoscopic ostinatos, mastery of extended vocal techniques, and the ability to instantaneously land on a perfectly tuned and balanced chord.Ī new version of Eve Beglarian’s None More Than You (2018-2019) saw members of the Dessoff Choirs and community choir singers from the northern Berkshires join Roomful of Teeth live. Mazzoli’s Vesper Sparrow (2012) attempts to capture the unique qualities of Roomful of Teeth’s individual singers as well as “the magic that is created when this group comes together.” True to this intention, additive textures of swooping birdsong-like motives drew the audience in one voice at a time before culminating in an epic bass drop that snapped the ensemble into glorious alignment. The August 23rd program was simultaneously retrospective and forward-looking, featuring significant works written for Roomful of Teeth over the past 10 years by Missy Mazzoli, Judd Greenstein, Eve Beglarian, and Caroline Shaw in addition to three world premieres by ACF | connect participants Mary Kouyoumdjian, Mingjia Chen, and Peter Shin. ![]() By alleviating the financial and logistical burdens that often hamper these types of collaborations-especially for underrepresented composers facing systemic barriers to entry-ACF | connect successfully provides the framework for an environment conducive to unhindered creativity. Over the past 10 years, Roomful of Teeth has redefined the landscape of contemporary vocal techniques by working closely with composers, fearlessly experimenting with new ideas, and maintaining a healthy sense of curiosity-making Roomful of Teeth and ACF | connect a natural pairing.Įstablished in 2017, ACF | connect facilitates relationships between composers, ensembles, and audiences by hosting an annual call for scores, awarding a $7,500 commissioning fee to the selected composers, and providing composer housing, transportation, and meals for all workshops, rehearsals, and performances associated with the program. On Friday Augat MASS MoCA, this spirit of intimate collaboration served as the nexus of the entire evening as Roomful of Teeth’s 10th birthday celebration brilliantly collided with the American Composers Forum’s ACF | connect program. ![]() ![]() “In this past year, I have made a promise to myself to really get to know the performers I collaborate with-not just as extraordinary musicians, but also as extraordinary human beings,” said composer Mary Kouyoumdjian.
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