Radio Chthulucene 87.9 FM

I thoroughly enjoyed the discussion this week surrounding TwERK.

From form to language to appropriation, there was a lot to reflect on with this collection. I was stuck on “Border Universe” in particular, and sought out the audio recording of a reading from Diggs herself. In this recording, she read the regular text in its entirety first, and then read the faded English text after. It gave the impression of either two separate poems, or a long one where the English served as a continuation of the former.

I have contacted Geisel Library, with my project partner, about potentially installing our radio there. Though, as a coworker reminded me, there are multiple steps because of how many people have to approve an installation there. I have other locations I will seek out in case there is a rejection to my email. (Not very hopeful they’ll approve in time)

For my final project recording, I am pondering the idea of adding instruments or notes in the background, maybe even key riffs from popular music. How would this change the piece? What if I just made my cadence more musical or melodic or rhythmic? How personal do I want to get?

I don’t feel like my piece is particularly about music, but music has been the key to many of my explorations into other languages. I think the latest was a song written in tagalog, titled “Huwag Na Huwag Mong Sasabihin”. It’s Kitchie Nadal’s most popular song from that album and was used as a theme song to ABS-CBN’s Philippine broadcast of the Korean TV series Lovers in Paris. I have never watched this series but have seen other Korean series and can completely understand why this song was used. Her emotion in it drives me crazy. What was I talking about again?

I am also considering the extent of translanguaging in my piece. I think I was a bit nervous before about becoming intelligible as I dive into different languages, but I have been inspired by class readings to create a piece that I feel encapsulates my entire journey with language, and inner reflections on the relationships between languages I have come across frequently or studied.

Another next step I have in mind is to listen to more recordings of poets reading their work so I can hear different interpretations of their written works. I don’t believe I’ve ever performed anything I’ve written, though I may have read some works out-loud.