Words Translated Into Song

My friend, Terry, posted a beautiful poem of a morning with his wife, on the porch, at his blog on his birthday. I read it a few times and thought I could just hear the glimmers of a song simmering below the surface of this lines. Luckily, I had some time to make just that — a song interpretation of Terry’s poem, with sound files, beats, loops and small snippets of his poem (read by me).

What I find interesting is how I was both trying to capture my own feeling of reading Terry’s words but also being intentional in taking it in a new direction. If you read his poem, you should hear some of his moments. You may also wonder what I was thinking, as you listen to other elements. Mostly, I was trying to capture the heartbeat of his piece.

Doing this kind of work brings you deeper into the text, a closer kind of reading. Every word has the possibility of something to give. I hope Terry enjoys the interpretation, left for him as a gift for his birthday.

Peace (in song),
Kevin

3 Comments
  1. Note my comments on Soundcloud, still the only place I know where you can annotate sound other than Vialogues. That said, thanks so much for the kindness on this big birthday. Lots of hills and hollars in frequencies I love. Squeeeeeeeee!

  2. A second note: I have a damned clear idea how long this took to make and I can’t help but cloud over a little from your happy generosity. Then I marvel over how afflicted words are in evoking understanding. Thanks, again.

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