
Charmaine Lee
Episode 1 | 26m 43sVideo has Closed Captions
Vocalist and composer Charmaine Lee presents a new work with pianist Conrad Tao.
Vocalist, improvisor, composer, and noise artist Charmaine Lee presents a new work with pianist and composer Conrad Tao. They explore a variety of sonic environments, each a meditation on both the mechanical and human qualities of sound.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Resonant Bodies is a local public television program presented by WLIW PBS

Charmaine Lee
Episode 1 | 26m 43sVideo has Closed Captions
Vocalist, improvisor, composer, and noise artist Charmaine Lee presents a new work with pianist and composer Conrad Tao. They explore a variety of sonic environments, each a meditation on both the mechanical and human qualities of sound.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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[ Microphone feedback ] ♪ It's very hard... ♪ Woman: The voice is such a unique instrument.
It is located in this place, in your body where you have your heart below it, you have your brain above it.
Only the sound of the voice, I think, can really go to those deep, emotional places.
And when we hear that, there can be a greater compassion and understanding and community around the world.
♪ Mm ♪ ♪♪ I'm really interested in pushing the boundaries of human and electronic sound.
[ Buzzes lips ] The way that I do that is through using a series of different microphones with different low and high fidelities, and just basic EQ, which is just frequency manipulation.
I will use different microphones to create a spectrum of sound that I hope will results in something that feels almost polyphonic.
It's the illusion of multiple streams of sound coming from the same sound source.
So for me, the way I do that is by having a contact microphone, which I put on my throat and I use simultaneously with other different microphones that are on my mouth, and through that process, I can create different sounds coming out of both my throat and my mouth, and it feels as though there are multiple voices at once.
[ Clicking, grunting ] For me, the solo improvisations that I do is really one of the deepest ways that I can connect to people in general.
It brings people in, and me, I use a lot of silence in my music.
So, it's kind of this way to, like, let people into my world.
And I want it to feel really present.
[ Thumps ] Honey.
To do my practice in the way that I do it, it requires intense amount of concentration.
And I like to have a kind of complex array of emotional energy in my sets, whether it be joyous or austere, because I think that's like life, and that's just who I am as a person.
[ Clicks tongue ] Ah.
I hope that audiences, especially those who are not super exposed to this kind of music, walk away with a sense of intrigue and interest.
I think curiosity is the key to life, and the world that I orbit is so rich and I hope that new ears will be interested to understand that better, because it has so much to offer.
[ Buzzing lips ] [ Cheers and applause ] [ Blowing air ] [ Speaker blows air ] [ Inhales sharply ] [ Clicks tongue ] [ Clicks tongue, grunts ] [ Slowly blows air ] [ Clicks tongue, grunts ] [ Squeaking ] [ Clicks tongue, inhales sharply ] Ee.
[ Exhales sharply, buzzes lips ] [ Inhales sharply ] [ Buzzes lips ] [ Sucks air ] [ Rolls tongue, buzzes lips ] [ Clicking tongue ] Ah.
[ Inhales sharply ] Mm.
[ Rolls tongue, inhales sharply ] [ Buzzes lips ] [ Pops cheek, whistles ] [ Smooches, buzzes lips ] [ Inhales sharply, rolls tongue ] Mmmmmmmm.
[ Clicks tongue ] [ Inhales sharply ] Mm.
[ Exhales sharply ] [ Slowly hisses air ] [ Inhales deeply ] [ Exhales slowly ] [ Buzzing lips ] [ Inhaling shakily ] [ Puttering lips ] [ Puttering lips ] [ Puttering lips ] [ Groans, clicks tongue ] [ Puttering lips, whispering indistinctly ] [ Puttering continues ] [ Puttering lips, squealing ] [ Rolls tongue ] [ Indistinct whispering ] Mm.
[ Rolls tongue ] [ Puttering lips ] [ Puttering continues ] [ Scraping cord ] [ Puttering lips ] [ Moans ] [ Puttering continues ] [ Squeaking ] [ Music stops ] [ Snorting, squeaking ] [ Puttering lips ] [ Squeaking ] Mm.
[ Puttering lips ] [ Clicks tongue ] Uh-oh.
[ Puttering lips ] ♪ Oh, no, no, no, no ♪ [ Puttering lips ] [ Groaning ] [ Puttering lips ] [ Chittering ] [ Squeaking ] [ Breathing shakily ] [ Gargles water ] [ Sucking water ] [ Gargling water ] [ Swallows loudly ] [ Quietly buzzing lips ] Ooh.
[ Warbling ] [ Exhales sharply ] [ Inhales deeply ] [ Chittering ] [ Squeaking ] [ Chittering ] [ Growls ] [ Chittering ] [ Growls ] [ Chittering, growling ] [ Squeaking ] [ Chittering, growling ] [ Screeching ] [ Chittering, growling ] [ Puttering lips ] [ Squeaking ] No!
[ Sucking lips, moaning ] [ Clicks tongue, babbles ] [ Inhales sharply, clicks tongue ] Oh.
[ Exhales sharply ] Ah.
[ Inhales sharply, thumps ] Honey.
[ Puttering lips ] Ah.
[ Puttering lips ] Hah.
[ Inhales sharply ] Honey.
[ Clicking tongue, puttering lips ] Ey.
[ Sucking lips ] [ Exhales slowly ] [ Clicks tongue ] Ah.
[ Cheers and applause ] [ Exhales sharply ] [ Feedback scratching ] [ Clicking ] [ Frequency whines ] [ Exhaling slowly ] [ Frequency whines ] [ Lower Frequency whines ] [ Feedback scratching ] [ Frequency whines ] [ Bells ring ] [ Frequency whines ] [ Inhales sharply ] [ Bells ring ] [ Frequency whines ] [ Bells ring ] [ Feedback scratching ] [ Frequency whines ] [ Frequency whining ] [ Feedback scratching ] [ Cymbal hits, Frequency whines ] [ Feedback scratching ] [ Frequency whines ] [ Feedback scratching ] [ Frequency whining ] [ Bells ringing ] [ Feedback scratching ] [ Bells ring ] [ Feedback scratching ] [ Bells ringing, feedback scratching ] [ Frequency whining ] [ Bells ring ] [ Feedback scratching ] [ Bells ring ] [ Feedback screeching ] [ Speaking indistinctly ] [ Feedback screeching ] [ Indistinct talking ] [ Thumping, feedback screeching ] [ Frequency whining ] Woman: Yeah.
[ Frequency whining ] [ Feedback scratching, indistinct talking ] [ Frequency whining ] [ Frequency whining ] [ Piano note plays ] [ Piano notes playing ] [ Frequency whining ] [ Piano notes playing, frequency whining ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Piano music playing, frequency whining ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Frequency squeaks, whining ] [ Piano notes playing ] [ Inhales deeply ] [ Frequency whining ] ♪♪ [ Frequency whining ] [ Frequency whining ] [ Frequency whining quietly ] [ Exhales sharply, grunting ] [ Speaking indistinctly ] ...that you're a good and worthy person.
[ Speaking indistinctly ] ...still like you.
If you feel that you need to change yourself to be more angry... [ Speaking indistinctly ] ...other people... [ Speaking indistinctly ] ...in a way that isn't... [ Speaking indistinctly ] [ Clicks tongue ] [ Speaking indistinctly ] [ Clicks tongue ] [ Speaking indistinctly ] [ Clicks tongue ] [ Speaking indistinctly ] [ Beeping, clicking ] [ Voices overlapping ] [ Buzzing lips ] [ Breathing heavily ] [ Buzzing lips, clicking tongue ] Mm.
[ Buzzing lips, clicking tongue ] [ Babbling ] [ Music stops ] Smiling and warmth makes others feel good around you.
Use this skill and you will shine.
[ Cheers and applause ] Conrad Tao.
[ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪
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