MANY VOICES
MANY VOICES combines spoken word poetry, chanting and
singing in a multi-voiced musical form; the music for MANY VOICES is an eclectic blend of alternative, new age, and ambient music.
We call these recordings SPEAKINGS.
For the Latest on
SoulSpeak
Poet Justin Spring of MANY VOICES has
a new book out called SOULSPEAK:
The Outward Journey of the Soul.
You can download it for free or buy a hard copy by going to
Sarasota Poetry Theatre Press and
selecting SOULSPEAK.
To hear what MANY VOICES sounds like go to SOULSPEAK Studio and select MANY VOICES.
Here's what some of the critics say about MANY VOICES:
"Erotic, touching.."
"Grabs you in the gut or settles like a fine mist around your
heart.."
"Like
someone sawing off the top of your head and putting in a whole new cast
of characters.. "
"Jazzy, sometimes animalistic, full of suspense.."
Background
Welcome
to MANY VOICES, a group of poets, musicians and singers
dedicated to recreating the sound of ancient musical speech. The home base of MANY VOICES is SOULSPEAK/Sarasota Poetry Theatre.
We want to bring you back to an experience that has been all but lost in
our modern world, the sound of the soul speaking. Ancient pre-literate
man was familiar with this sound, and lived by it. It is the ancient root
of poetry and has a sound like no other: it is the sound of beauty and
the sound of truth. MANY VOICES does this in much the
same manner as pre-literate man did, by creating a spontaneous, improvisational
intertwining of speech and music and song. But because we live today and
not 3000 years ago, we do it in contemporary form using an eclectic blend
of jazz, alternative and new age music mixed with speaking, singing, and
chanting voices heightened by electronic effects. We call these
creations SPEAKINGS, and like their ancient counterparts, they have a
unique beauty and spiritual power.
The Interactive Poetry Forum
Leave a poem or a SPEAKING of your own.
How To Listen To Us
We have found that the semi-hypnotic state often associated with driving
is ideal for listening to MANY VOICES. Another is
in a dark room, where the eyes have no power to distract. Don't worry
if the dreamy, evocative nature of some of the SPEAKINGS makes you drift
off occasionally to an imagined experience; you won't miss anything. What
is happening is that you are adding your own voice to our voices, which
is exactly what is supposed to happen: you are adding your SPEAKING to
ours.
A Little History
Ancient musical speech was the original poetry, the poetry that existed
before writing was invented, a poetry where music, song, speech, chanting,
costume and dance existed as one continuous art form. It is sometimes referred
to as tribal poetry. It is art before it was broken into the separate arts
we know today. In its most powerful and essential form, it was driven by
rhythmic music and a main speaker or singer together with a responding
speaker/singer. It is a communal art that derives its unique power from
the fact that its constituent parts are combined into one organic whole
representing the entire psyche. In a very real sense, it is beyond poetry
as we know it today. This is why we sometimes say that MANY VOICES is BEYOND POETRY. And, like your own psyche, or soul, it can
only be experienced as a whole. So when you listen to MANY VOICES, let it fall on you like rain. Don't try to pick the SPEAKINGS
apart, or be concerned about which particular voice or song or musical
element you should listen to of the many present. Think of the experience
as a waking dream, which is how the ancients viewed it.
Because MANY VOICES is improvisational in nature, we produce
albums frequently. Each of them has a slightly different flavor
because of the different artists who supplement the core group.
SOULSPEAK
Studio allows you to download a sample from each of them for free
to see if you'd like to go further. All you need is MS-WAV or REAL AUDIO.
If you don't have REAL AUDIO you can download a copy for free when you go to SOULSPEAK Studio. If you like
what you hear, you can print out the order form and send it in to us and
we'll send you back a complete tape. If you don't find it satisfactory
for any reason, just return it for an immediate, no hassle refund. If you
wish to post a comment about what you hear, send us mail at
soulspeak1@comcast.net
and we will post them on this website. Similarly if you have questions,
send them on and we'll respond to them as soon as we can. We welcome all
comments and suggestions, as we know MANY VOICES is but
one voice among many. Our albums are recorded at the SOULSPEAK Studio.
Part of the mission of SOULSPEAK Studio is the recording of artists who
are working in an interdisciplinary mode of speech, song and music. We welcome
inquiries from any artists interested in recording or having their work
sold though this page.
LINKS TO FRIENDS OF SOULSPEAK.
How To Contact Us:
send us E-MAIL at soulspeak1@comcast.net
PHONE: 941-366-6468, ask for Scylla Liscombe, Managing Dir. SOULSPEAK
STUDIO.
FAX: 941-954-2208
MAIL:
MANY VOICES, SOULSPEAK STUDIO
PO Box 48955
Sarasota FL 34230
Accesses since 10/15/98: