On 21 September, the Record Room in Limerick will host the screening of a unique collaboration between voice artist Ruth Wieder Magan, pianist Maja Elliott, and multidisciplinary artist Avia Gurman. The project was recorded at Hapé Sound, an acoustic recording studio in Galway, and combines experimental vocal improvisation with live piano and visual artistry.
Ruth is the most versatile voice artist I have ever met. When she came to the studio, she recorded several takes of vocal improvisation — everything from whispers to overtone singing and other sounds I had never captured before.
The Piano Connection
I had a hunch that Ruth would connect with one of Maja Elliott’s last piano pieces, so I played it for her. Ruth immediately loved it. We reached out to Maja for permission to use the piece.
A Surprising Fusion
A few days later, Ruth returned to the studio. She wanted to layer the takes from the previous session together with Maja’s piano piece. I didn’t think it was going to work, since she hadn’t sung while hearing the piano—she had only listened to it once. But I was in for a surprise: not only did her different vocal takes blend beautifully with one another, the piano part fit as if they had rehearsed it together from the start. The moment the two elements clicked was something I will never forget.
Visual Collaboration with Avia Gurman
The final stage of the project was the creation of the video, crafted by Ruth in collaboration with multidisciplinary artist Avia Gurman.
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