New CD bestows
sonic massage
By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer
Try to think of something Amy Clifford has
not done in her 11 years in Ketchum. Oh sure, she never won a medal at the
Olympics but this Minneapolis native teaches yoga, acts, models and sings. And,
even though Clifford has never had a singing lesson, she is releasing her first
CD on Friday, May 9, with a party and mini concert at Chapter One in Ketchum at
7 p.m.
"Humming Bird" is a set of seven
movements, known under one title of "Blu Monophony." She sings alone in
improvised vocal expression. Her singing has evolved into something otherworldly
and, frankly, unexpected.
"My singing voice came to me like a gift,"
Clifford said in a recent interview. "I have been singing on my own for several
years. It made me feel good."
She said the trees in the woods were her
first audience. Now reaching out to a larger and more humanly animate audience,
Clifford is finding her singing voice has a soothing affect on people.
First, she began singing after her yoga
classes to her students while they relaxed and stretched. Then she recorded for
an hour during four sessions with Robbie Wood’s help at Mountain Beach recording
studio in Ketchum. "Humming Bird" is the result.
She thinks of her voice as pure vocal
expression and said it’s an exploration of connecting voice to the heart.
"It’s not technical singing but the
relationship is as committed as some musicians are to their instruments," she
said.
Recently, she was the voice of Agnes in
St. Thomas Playhouse’s recent production of "Agnes of God." She also performed
in concert before one of the shows.
"My voice is affected by the human heart
and the natural environment," she explained.
"It has an ancient or universal quality
combined with the earthy and ethereal."
Indeed, her songs seem repetitive, which
makes it similar in intention to that of chanting.
"We respond to sound in resonation and
vibrations. It’s a resonate quality like a sonic massage. The sounds wash over
you."
Clifford said her singing sounds different
each time she performs, depending on her environment. This makes hearing her
always a unique experience. Fortunately, the community has always opened its
arms to those who try and then share new things.
"I appreciate this community. They’ve been
so supportive through this process. And I’m still here. It’s the natural
environment and the people. I think I’m a by-product of this magical place."
Clifford will be doing a Sun Valley
Mountain Wellness concert prior to the Debbie Ford keynote speech on May 23, 7
p.m. in the Sun Valley indoor ice rink.