SOVT (Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract) (2017) is a 55-minute minimalist piece by American, New York-based composer-percussionist Sarah Hennies that addresses the vocal exercises that strengthen the voice by helping the vocal cords vibrate more efficiently, and is informed by her gender transition. Heenies work always focused with a variety of musical, sociopolitical, and psychological issues including queer & trans identity.
One may practice SOVT exercises by singing with a straw in the mouth, which regulates air pressure and reduces strain on the vocal folds. Hennies encountered these exercises in a class on so-called “voice feminization” for transgender women, which also inspired her other works, Falsetto (2016, for percussion and pre-recorded percussion) and Contralto (2017, for violin, viola, cello, contrabass, three percussion).
SOVT was
