One is an exercise in musical simplicity. The vocalist goes through a series of simple vocalizations, finished with improvised harmonic overtone singing, and the Max/MSP patch uses the sounds produced by the voice to create a larger texture.
The technique of harmonic overtone singing is a method by which one singer can produce two simultaneous pitches. By precisely forming the shape of the mouth while chanting a fundamental pitch, the singer is able to selectively resonate a single overtone of that pitch anywhere from an octave and a fifth to three octaves and a fifth above the fundamental.
The almost electronic sound of the harmonic overtone singing in combination with the lack of timbral manipulation of the audio used in the patch serves to blur the distinction between where the singer ends and the computer begins. If this piece is successful, the voice, overtones, and computer manipulation will merge into a single, meditative entity, in which the distinction between elements will become entirely irrelevant.
Benjamin Martinson (b. 1987), a native of Alaska holds a Master's degree from the University of Cincinnati, and a Bachelor's degree from Butler University. His music is strongly influenced by both his background as a vocalist and his experience as a programmer. His works have been performed at ICMC 2012, the 2012 SEAMUS National Conference and the 2006 National MENC Conference, and recent commissions include a piece for Sacramento-based women’s choir Vox Musica with live electronics, and a virtuosic piece for the American Pianists’ Association Fellows Solo Piano Competition.