rhiannon

For the last eight years or so I have been including Murmuration work whenever I teach Vocal River classes.

They became intertwined for me, one leading to the other and magnifying each another.

 

The Vocal River forms are the musical small ensemble vocal improvisation pieces from my book with shared leadership at the core.

Murmuration is the name for the way Starlings move in the sky by hundreds and thousands as they float and fly in incredible formations that disappear and reappear. Dancers who call this flocking led the way in understanding how humans can mimic the beauty of nature.

 

This work has always been collaborative and meant to grow and evolve as it spreads around the world.

I love these forms which continue to evolve and new ones come into being because of all of you who invent and share your ideas.

I am grateful to be acknowledged for my contributions as I continue to acknowledge the creators who have shared with me; singers, dancers, instrumentalists, actors. My desire is that we endlessly evolve this work, it is improvisation after all, while honoring the lineage that gives it breadth and depth.

 

As I began to see the possibilities of adding Murmuration as connective tissue in performance, I saw that the Vocal River forms could move from one to the other in a seamless, theatrical kind of way. 

 

In fall of 2023, Margie Gillis, choreographer and famed solo dancer from Montreal, and I decided to test the magic by bringing 28 singers who had all trained with me in my All The Way In year long vocal improvisations study. We worked in studio five hours a day for two weeks to imagine how to create a kind of immersion going from one idea, one movement, one vocal line, adding physical dimension that shape shifts, musical rhythms, harmonies, bass lines, percussion, syncopation, supporting lines, solos and language, and then segue for an hour so that the whole creation becomes a piece.

 

It was very difficult to choose only 28 people but even at that, I had gone from rational to wildly hopeful that these 28 could blend and make music together. I wanted this group to be international, culturally diverse, age diverse, body diverse. I had to leave out names. Maybe you were one of them. My apologies because inclusion is meant to be built into this work and yet I had to draw boundaries so that we could go in depth. I know the word travels that this Murmuration work is going on. I want to talk with you all about it so that you understand this first study was just the beginning. There is so much more to come. The door is open if you are interested.

 

Margie Gillis and I are making plans to teach a five day session in Montreal next fall to deepen the process and allow more singers to enter and dancers as well. I sense that for me, this is the next big wave of work that follows The Vocal River. I intend that people can study both Vocal River and Murmuration as forms for collective music making that gets its grace and depth from the body.

 

Performance is not the only aspect of Murmuration. There are plans for social change and healing work ensembles. More to come.

 

I also believe that there will be other chosen murmuration ensembles around the world. That is part of the exploration. If you can find local collaborators, it is much easier to work together live, find festivals, create festivals and move this beautiful work forward in the way that we do things which is to share information and trust there is enough for all.

 

Much love in all you do, in all we share. Dream on singers.

Rhiannon