singingthe

Singingthe is a term used in experimental vocal practice to describe a method of vocalization that prioritizes texture, timbre, and continuous sonic flow over traditional melody and pitch emphasis.

Origins: The term first appeared in online forums and small press writings in the early 2010s, credited to a loosely connected group of performers in Europe and North America who explored non-normative singing as a collaborative practice. The exact provenance remains debated within practitioner communities.

Definition and technique: Singingthe encompasses practices such as sustained vowel streams, rapid vowel-consonant toggling, glottal and subglottal voice adjustments, microtonal inflections, breath-led phrasing, and often layered or looped recordings. Performances may involve improvisation, spatial sound design, and audience proximity. Notation is frequently nonstandard, with emphasis on listening cues and collective timing.

Practice and contexts: It is associated with experimental music venues, artist-led collectives, and contemporary voice pedagogy that treats the voice as a flexible instrument. The approach overlaps with sound poetry and other extended vocal techniques, and it is often explored in interdisciplinary settings including installation art and multimedia performance.

Reception and influence: Scholars and practitioners note singingthe expands possibilities for vocal timbre and ensemble texture, while critics sometimes view it as esoteric or inaccessible. In recent years, it has influenced teaching methods in avant-garde vocal studios and has appeared in installations and live performances that merge music with visual media.

See also: Extended vocal technique; Sound poetry; Experimental music.