Singing on the Line

Aliya Pabani goes to a vocal coach to look into the extent of her vocal cord damage, and the contours of the voice she has left.

Originally constructed as a four-channel audio installation, this piece played back on four speakers fabricated from four balloons. Now in online and podcast form, Singing on the Line comes to life as a close-listening stereo experience that places the listener as a fly on the wall during a singing lesson.

“This piece comes out of a desire that I've had for a long time to map out the damage to my vocal cords. As a kid, I used to scream a lot and throw a lot of tantrums and I think that might have caused stress to my vocal cords and that's why I have the voice that I have right now. And although I really like my voice, I can't actually sing very well. I have a really limited range. And so I wanted to speak to a vocal coach and do a vocal lesson to see what my voice could do.”

Credits

Singing on the Line was produced by Aliya Pabani, and features her voice alongside the voice of vocal coach and musician Kritty Uranowski.