Concerto for MIDI keyboard, SSAATTBB choir, & electronics
Commissioned by The Crossing and Donald Nally by Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts
Text by Nina Shekhar
As someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder, I grew up with many vocal tics: certain words I had to say together in succession, forced inhalations a specific number of times, over-swallowing, non-verbal sounds, and vocal fry uttered for a particular duration of time. These tics were a product of my anxiety, compulsions that I felt I had to perform in order to protect my loved ones, as well as a discomfort in my own body. Over time, my vocal muscles would become tense and exhausted, and I developed a fraught relationship with my voice.
Tic-Talk for MIDI keyboard and choir is an attempt to reclaim my voice. The first movement, “Tic,” examines some of these vocal tics, as performed by singers in the choir. The voice is so personal because it is directly connected to our bodies, but in this piece, I also explore the power of disembodiment by having the MIDI keyboard trigger vocal samples I recorded. The result produces an uncanny valley effect, playing with digital vs. acoustic and the technological/human divide. With today’s use of AI-generated voices, how can we preserve our sense of humanity and reclaim technology as a tool for empowerment?
The second movement, “Talk,” investigates cultural policing of language. Drawing from my parents’ experiences with accents after moving to the U.S, the piece plays with irregular vowels and heteronyms that highlight the difficulty of learning English.
My sincere thanks to pianist Dynasty Battles, conductor Donald Nally, and The Crossing for commissioning this piece with support from Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting and the National Endowment of the Arts.
October 18th, 2025
UNALIENABLE: the world premiere of Nina's Shekhar's "Tic-Talk"
Performed by Dynasty Battles (keyboard) & The Crossing (Donald Nally, conductor)
The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA
October 19th, 2025
UNALIENABLE: the world premiere of Nina's Shekhar's "Tic-Talk"
Performed by Dynasty Battles (keyboard) & The Crossing (Donald Nally, conductor)
Presented in partnership with Artcinia
First Presbyterian Church (Germantown), Philadelphia, PA
