THE VISUAL VOICE is an ongoing project conducted by Frank Millward (multimedia), Heather Keens (singer), and John Rubin (ENT surgeon). Our work seeks to facilitate understandings about sonic events represented as moving image - with a particular focus on visually representing the sound of the human voice.

CONVERSATIONS WITH MY VOICE is an experimental work-in-progress that uses the sounds and memories that return to a singer during a live performance. Heather Keens’ ‘inner voice’ becomes a virtual screen character in an interactive engagement with her as she sings. Her inner voice is represented as projected video images. The conversation between the real and the virtual explores conflicting positions around vocal style and identity as rendered in a world of ‘covers’ and impersonations. The voice of opera, extended vocal technique, popular forms including scat and the blues are all mixed together in an improvisational search for the acquisition of an original vocal mode of expression.

This work was collaboratively devised by Keens and Millward - music and video by Frank Millward
Nasendoscopy imaging Dr John Rubin - First performed at the Brisbane Festival 2012
brisbanefestivalarchive.com.au/events/view/conversations-with-my-voice