Hut Song

“Hut Song” (2024) is an unusual, abstract, wholly intuitive response to hearing Baka vocal polyphony of Cameroon. I share the first minute here.

We have visited this and other polyphonic music from around the world in my Counterpoint in the Digital Age course at NYU Steinhardt this semester. It is a course I have been thinking about for 15 years and finally have had the chance to teach. I am blessed with a unique group of brave, bright, keen, bold students whose response to my challenging ideas has been wildly imaginative, serious, and mature. Our class discussions thus far have been unforgettable, so much so that from time to time I am moved to contribute to the collective creative work of the class; this piece is one such case. Somehow I know my students would understand this music, and I hope others will as well.

Visit my Bandcamp page to purchase the full 5-minute composition.