12 Moons Solo Project Day 19

Date: 01/19/2013
Instrument: Soprano saxophone
Location: The Headlands Wildlife Preserve on Whidbey Island

Notes:

This morning I went for a walk in day 4 of this heavy, persistent fog that just won’t seem to lift. I ended up back in the Headlands Wildlife Preserve in a clearing about a quarter mile down a dirt road. The morning air was heavy with dew and the birds were out in full force. I decided to record a piece that juxtaposed a more industrial sound with the natural sound cycles of the forest.

During this improvisation I used a single fingering: traditional low E fingering with the low C and low Bb keys down as well. I worked to create a siren-like call into the forest to create a jarring interruption in the ambient wildlife sounds. This fingering creates an amazing multiphonic on the soprano that has heavy, bright tones in it. I took in enough mouthpiece that my lips were touching the ligature and my embouchure strained to remain controlled. Along with a stop- tongue technique in the first of each 2 note phrase, I overblow the horn to try and fill out the muliphonic. The whistle-like, bright tones are achieved by blowing as much air as possible into the horn while maintaining a light hold on the mouthpiece.

-Neil