Have you ever stared at a fixed point for a long period of time? Chuchumi is a word in Kuti, Akateko (Mayan language spoken by the Akateko people) that means the place where you go when you are just staring at the infinite, into space. 
This piece is my attempt to aurally illustrate what Chuchumi sounds to me. It is a piece based on the digital processing of samples of my own vocals and field recordings of Northern Michigan’s nature.

Chuchumi (2022)

“Su mirada ciega, el diminuto disco de oro inexpresivo y sin embargo terriblemente lúcido, me penetraba como un mensaje: «Sálvanos, sálvanos».”
Axolotl, Julio Cortázar.
“Their blind gaze, the diminutive gold disc without expression and nonetheless terribly shining, went through me like a message: «Save us, save us».“ Axolotl, Julio Cortázar. 

Based on Julio Cortázar’s short story, Ahora soy un Axolotl is a piece that tries to capture my interpretation of the story: uncertainty, chaos, confusion, and at the same time, the quiet and isolated behavior of the beautiful underwater salamander; native to the freshwater in the Valley of Mexico. Lastly, the bond between the Axolotl and the man, and their journey to become one. 
This piece was composed using three analog synthesizers and digital audio processing.

Ahora soy un Axolotl (2022)

Composition for the Mexico City Woodwind Quintet (QACM) 
Performed in Mexico City at Biblioteca José Vasconcelos and Fonoteca Nacional. 
Published in the music score book ¨Puentes Hacia el Futuro - 7 pieces for woodwind quintet¨ by BlancaNegra Editions.

Wormhole - for woodwind quintet (2016)

Abejas (2022)

"Nada puede durar tanto, no existe ningún recuerdo por intenso que sea que no se apague. " - Juan Rulfo, Pedro Páramo 

"Nothing can last that long, there is no memory, no matter how intense it is, that doesn't fade. " - Juan Rulfo, Pedro Páramo

Nada puede durar tanto - for 12 Voices And Live Electronics (binaural)

While hiking in Los Dinamos, a National park located in the South of Mexico City, I realized that a bee kept following me. In the beginning, I found myself annoyed by her, but then I realized it was my instinct that made me annoyed. If I paid attention, I would realize that she was harmless; she was just minding her own business; she was fragile and beautiful. I was following her. Finally, she landed on a flower, and carefully, I started to record her. Reading about the life cycle of a queen bee and its larva, I wanted to create a piece that captures the fascinating journey of the selection process of a queen. I created my material by exploring all the different sounds from an accordion in addition to the creation of sounds using the analog synthesizer’s sequencer."

As part of the second annual 40.4 Festival, an audio-forward intermedia sonic summit, Abejas was premiered in the 40.4 multichannel system of the B2 Center for Media, Arts, and Performance at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Abejas, 16-channels(binaural version)

Performed by Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble and Band Sinfónica CECAMBA in Puebla, México.

Nada puede durar tanto - for 12 Voices And Live Electronics (binaural)

Natalia Quintanilla

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