Composition & Song-Writing

Doof and/or Boing
("GIFs you can hear song")

Master's Thesis Composition (2020)

Follow along. To the GIFs you can hear. In your head. 
(~˘▾˘)~ *Doof* ~(˘▾˘~ ) 
Thanks to r/noisygifs and r/GifsYouCanHear

the companion piece

Master's Thesis Composition (2020)

An exploration of memory, loss, and imagined sound.

Dust

SEAMUS 2018
Berklee School of Music

Dust was written in 2017 in response to a call for art to remember Marikana, the mine where the South African police force gunned down 17 miners during a protest in 2012. The piece incorporates samples from the incident as well as common call-and-response phrases from gum-boot dances. The electric guitar drones, swirls, and feedback represent the three major phases in the protest. 

The piece aims to sonify the confusion, haze, and tragedy of the incident.Dust was recorded and released under the Jackie Lee moniker and performed at SEAMUS 2018 at Berklee School of Music. SEAMUS is the annual meeting of the society of electro-acoustic music of the United States.

Allowable

Sound-art installation (2018)

Allowable is a sound art installation that explores the aesthetic mining and culture influences/appropriation of African diasporic music. Big Mamma Thornton’s 1952 rendition of Hound Dog is juxtaposed to Elvis Presley’s 1956 version, which sold over 9 million units more.

The piece begins as Thornton’s version is played unaltered through two loudspeakers above the installation. The sound transitions to the central speaker with an 8’ djembe placed concentrically above the speaker. The piece is manipulated to highlight the resonant frequency of the djembe as well as induce feedback in the speaker system. The djembe, representing stereotypes of African diasporic music, visibly resonates to show the lack of adherence to stereotypes evident in Thornton’s rendition. The song then plays again from the loudspeakers and is violently manipulated, alluding to elements of Presley’s version. This includes tempo and pitch shifting as well as the inclusion of additional percussion elements and additional reverb and compression. The manipulated song is then played through djembe and no longer induces a strong resonance.

Winterhi​ll

Alternative Rock
(2014-2018)

Winterhill was formed in 2014 by a chance meeting during international student orientation at Dartmouth. The project started as a college-rock cover band and quickly evolved beyond that, opening for CRUISR, Adult Mom, and Panama Wedding. I co-wrote, recorded, and mixed the band's self-titled EP and have played guitar, bass, and percussion for the group. In 2017, the band played a 3 week US east coast tour, opening for Wintermute and The Plastic Angels.

jade & the gem

Acoustic Trio
(2012-2015)

Jade & The Gem was an acoustic trio consisting of Jade Beeby (vocals, keys), Jesse Martin (guitar, vocals) and Lloyd May (guitar, bass, percussion). They performed on the Johannesburg acoustic circuit 2013-2015 and toured South Africa in support of their self-titled EP in 2015. The trio was well-known for their genre cross-overs, re-works and mash-ups, as well as their tapping-style and maskanda-influenced guitar work. The trio disbanded in 2015 following Beeby's full-time pursuit of theatre.

Production

TCIYF:
HAMMER ROID

Skate Punk Album
(2021)

I produced, engineered, and recorded the album Hammer Roidfor Soweto Skate Punk legends The Cum In Your Face (TCIYF). Album drops 28 Jan 2021