In Search Of Sound - 7x7 HD

Video profile by filmmaker Vijay Sridharan on the compositional and research process of "7x7." -- 7x7 is a rhythmic composition inspired by the diverse and changing soundscapes of San Francisco. The piece draws on my field recordings of the city’s diverse natural environments and neighborhoods, and conversations with San Francisco-based artists. An array of sounds from nature, the built environment, and people are evoked in three continuous movements. Scored for solo mridangam with optional percussive accompaniment, the piece is one of the first socially-inspired, programmatic works for south Indian percussion. The soloist is challenged to push the boundaries of traditional, mathematical repertoire, strict timing, and conventional aesthetics, and explore new, experimental capacities, in both composed and improvised parts. The pitched and unpitched sound patterns of the mridangam are woven together in 7-beat meters, except in the free, unmetered opening. The piece is composed so future performances can feature other percussion instruments and performers of different skill levels. 7x7 combines representational depictions of soundscapes with musical development. Listeners might be reminded of the wind, waves, rain, cable cars, BART, footsteps, and construction sites. The chants of the Women’s March were particularly moving as a microcosm of the city’s pulse during a pivotal moment of social reflection. The movement of ideas and values, sounded collectively by thousands of people, through the elements of Market Street, coalesce into the crescendo of a unified rhythm for equality. On its own, 7x7 presents a spectrum of rhythms and textures that at times sound familiar and unfamiliar. Delve deeper into the soundscapes and you may hear layers of symbolism reflecting an undercurrent of tension, of relentless change, that shapes our shared diversity. The premiere and Hand Drumming and Indian Rhythm Institutes are graciously supported by the San Francisco Arts Commission Individual Artist Grant.