Original songs and beautiful two-part vocal harmonies by Shalani Thomas and harmony singer and percussionist Paris Whiteley provided a magical morning of storytelling last month.
Lead singer Shalani effortlessly accompanied herself on the guitar while using melody to tell stories and share experiences. Her subjects ranged from belonging, social change, gender and the environment to ghosts and being in a moment.
Shalani’s gentle yet quietly penetrating voice is highly nuanced, creating light and shade while sustaining a beautiful melodic line. Paris’s sensitive and agile response to Shalani’s rhythm and the melodic line showed a truly collaborative approach to creating exquisite harmony.
Why we respond to Sweet Harmony
The focus on consonant (sweet) rather than dissonant harmonies is perhaps intuitive. Yet science has shown why we are attracted to sweet sounds. In a New Scientist article titled Why harmony pleases the brain, Lisa Grossman writes, “A new model suggests that harmonious musical intervals trigger a rhythmically consistent firing pattern in certain auditory neurons, and sweet sounds carry more information than harsh ones.”
This is because sensory neurons create signals from consonant sounds that arrive simultaneously, increasing receptivity to a sweet tones.*
The use of sweet harmony was also evident in Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts student Lillie Hobden's selection of songs spanning three different genres, culminating in an aria by Puccini. Her confident and musical delivery captivated the audience and reflected her commitment to performance through local theatre, the Wollongong Eisteddfod, and charity events.
A Special Place to Perform
Shalani and Paris expressed appreciation for the opportunity to present a set of original songs in the BlueScope Gallery at Wollongong Art Gallery: “A beautiful resonant space with a seated audience provided a different performing experience to our usual audience at live gigs.”
Shalani and Paris at 2023’s Folk Festival
You can hear Shalani, Paris and their friend Kiya in their band Dear Violet at the 2023 Illawarra Folk Festival. They will be telling more stories through song using three-part harmony.
Last concert of the year
The final Music and Tea at the Gallery concert for 2022 on Thursday, December 8, will feature Jazz Trio and New Compositions by Alec Watt with a Prelude of Flute Music by Annabel Wouters and David Vance. Tickets are free via Humanitix