Fenestration

Fenestration

by

Kitty Allen

 Preview

Available on Spotify, Pandora Plus & in most digital music stores.

Original instrumental tune composed & performed by Kitty Allen on pedal harp, midi-keyboard, & laptop. For all those who enjoy harp glissandi & special effects, this tune offers an abundance of each.

Fenestration - When used as an architectural term, it  refers to the design, construction & presence of openings in a building. This may  include windows, doors, louvres, vents, wall panels, skylights, storefronts, curtain walls, etc., many of which were observed when I strolled by the building pictured above. Thus, this tune was inspired by a visit to Helsinki, Finland, where one downtown building under construction (among many)  caught my eye - probably because of the multi-colored panels as shown in the photo above.

Actually, this may be a better song title than the closely related term - defenestration, which refers to the act of throwing someone or something out of a window. So, should the tune not appeal to your listening ear, you may certainly  choose to defenestrate it.

Helsinki, Finland construction site. Photographed in September, 2017.

© - Kitty Allen  2018

Romp for Recycled Rainbow

Romp for Recycled Rainbow

by

Kitty Allen

  Preview
Full tune can be heard on Spotify, Pandora Plus, & is available in most digital music stores.

Up-tempo tune composed & performed by Kitty Allen on pedal harp, alto (altered) & C flutes, melodica, midi-keyboard, & laptop.

This piece was inspired by a visit to New Holland Island in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

www.newhollandsp.ru/en/

New Holland Island is a  triangular island within St. Petersburg that was created in 1719. Due to canals & shipbuilding activities, its name evolved because of a similarity in appearance to Amsterdam. 

Though the island has experienced significant  historical transition,  its latest incarnation began in 2010, under the direction of Roman Abramovich with help from Daria Zhukova. The island opened to the public in 2011.   While still under development, New York architectural company, WORKac, is  currently instrumental in combining commercial & residential properties to the project. UNESCO monuments are also being restored. A branch of the Centre for Contemporary Art (based in Moscow) is planned for the future.

The aerial artwork shown in many of the photos above is titled "Firebird Descent."  It was created by artist Patrick Shearn of the firm, Poetic Kinetics, based in Los Angeles, CA.

www.poetickinetics.com

Firebird Descent Build

© - Kitty Allen  2018

Rainy Daze Rag for Self-Willed Windshield Wipers

Rainy Daze Rag
for
Self-Willed Windshield Wipers

by

Kitty Allen

Preview
Full tune can be heard on Spotify, Pandora Plus &   in most digital music stores.

Semi-traditional rag composed & performed by Kitty Allen on pedal harp, midi-keyboard, & laptop. Special effects of rain showers & mixed windshield wipers are added throughout.

This tune was inspired by an October road trip from northwest Ohio up through Michigan to Mackinac Island and back. In fact, this trip has become an honored & very enjoyable tradition for me & a variable number of college girlfriends.

This year, for the first time, unsavory weather  ruled the week as torrential rain & high winds preoccupied both of our drives & much of our days on the island. We received a generous rendering of rain, sleet, wind, & one afternoon of spotty snow showers.

Mind you, the enjoyment of the trip was not diminished. In retrospect, the rain & wind prompted a rather relaxing & hypnotic rhythmic accompaniment to our road experience. We  listened to steady rain, light rain, slow windshield wipers, quick wipers, intermittent wipers, & one moment of turbulent near-trajectory wipers. Once we even went without wipers...for 10 minutes. I missed their cadence & almost suggested that we leave them on for the beat. For added entertainment along with the rain & the wipers, we also joined bumper-to-bumper traffic slow-downs & entered major visibility challenges. After this, a long ride on a sunny day would surely be dull.

So, as a result of this vacation, I have new respect for a basic tool of driving in inclement weather - working automobile windshield wipers. See  how far you go without them. To all sets & styles of wipers gracing auto front ends everywhere, this tune is for you. Wipe on & drive safely!

Photos of the town center during an October 2017 rainy adventure to Mackinac Island.

A note of special thanks to Diane Sullivan, who navigated through this soggy week & never once lost her composure behind the wheel. Nice work, Diane. Another great trip...every day an adventure!

© - Kitty Allen  2017

Eleven Fifty-Seven

Eleven Fifty-Seven

by

Kitty Allen

 Preview
Full tune can be heard on Spotify, Pandora Plus & in most digital music stores.

Polyrhythmic vocal & instrumental tune composed & performed by Kitty Allen on acoustic prepared piano, midi-keyboard, pedal harp, & laptop.

This tune consists of three sections & is an experiment in atypical rhythms, altered acoustic instruments, altered voice, & key signature modulations. Section one is performed in 11/8 time and includes  piano with wires lined in paper. In addition, a full can of Red Bull energy drink (unopened) was laid  horizontally across the upper register. Section two contains fifty-plus measures of 6/8 time & offers pedal harp  with accompaniment. Section three moves in 6/8 timing with four groupings of seven measure vamps. Altered voice plus accompaniment can be heard. The tune ends with a return to the melody & 11/8 rhythm of section one.

Inspired by a visit to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia. The photo shown above depicts the intricate & colorful marble floor within the church. It also shows a pair of sneakered feet which, in my perception, display the time at 11:57. Thus, the title of the piece & the rationale (if one  is necessary) for a rhythmic & tonal experiment.

Additional photos of the church can be seen below.

© - Kitty Allen  2017