The space in between
Kwee Boon Brandon Seah ’11 wants to teach his classmates a new way of listening. The Winthrop House senior practices the art of overtone singing, a technique that enables a performer to vocalize two notes at once. This week, Seah will give a class on the technique and says he hopes to pass on an appreciation of this central Asian vocal music to his fellow undergraduates. “In other cultures, people are aware of overtones in daily life,” he says. “I hope the participants in the class come away with different ears and learn to think of music in a different way.” To hear a sample of overtone singing: Seah and his pupils are just a few of the undergraduates participating in nearly 100 activities —from stand-up comedy to public service — during Harvard’s inaugural Optional Winter Activities Week (OWAW), Jan. 16-23. Erin Goodman, manager of Winter Break operations for the College, says that...