Sankaram | The Hum by Just a Theory Press

Sankaram | The Hum

Sankaram 2019 for solo trombone The

HumPERUSALSCORE

Kamala

PERUSALSCORE

The Hum

for solo trombone

PERUSALSCORE

Kamala Sankaram

Program Note

This piece was inspired by a strange psycho-acoustic phenomenon known as The Hum. First reported in the late 70s, people across the world have complained of hearing a strange, subterranean rumble- a sort of "hum" that not only can't be heard by most people, but can't actually be captured on any recording devices.The mysterious Hum tends to be reported in cities. This immediately made me think of "The City Born Great," a short sci-fi story by acclaimed author N.K. Jemisin.

In the story, a young homeless man is anointed the avatar of New York City. As the city struggles to be born as a conscious entity, the young man must protect it from an ancient Cthulhu-like evil.With only the sounds and energy of the city as his weapons, he battles the enemy for the soul of New York.

As an instrument both capable of low rumbles and intimately tied to the history of New York's music scene, the trombone seemed to an ideal choice to embody this piece. The piece begins with that rumbling hum, signifying the awakening of the city's consciousness. It then follows the trajectory of Jemisin's story, borrowing from the sounds of the city until the final battle with the enemy.

Performance Notes

Text under sung notes indicates vowel sound.

Lip multiphonic = use an embouchure gliss to find the point between the fundamental and the first overtone that becomes white noise

For Air Noise:

I = Inhale

E = Exhale

S.T. = Slap Tongue

O = Ordinario

Instrumentation

Solo Trombone

Duration: 5'

First printing, March 2024

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