We remember not the word, but the sound of the word

Language is an activity where we repeat ourselves and others — a negotiation of similarity and difference of sounds, giving us similarity and difference of meaning. It is the network of repetition among voices that allows us to communicate. This piece is a repetitive text which I wrote, recorded, and transcribed using custom software to translate each vowel and consonant into musical notation. Closing each section is the phrase “we remember not the word, but the sound of the word.” The similarity is in the gesture, but the difference is in the sound. — ACS