Persona is an experimental performance that views singing as a way to figure out who we are in the world, emphasising the human body as a direct source of sound and identity. Instead of playing a character, the performer has to face the raw sensations of their own body, dealing with physical intensity in real-time. The score is a series of nearly impossible physical instructions that make the piece less about being "perfect" and more about the honest struggle to keep going, revealing a voice that is unique rather than just a practiced technique.

 

To make this happen, I built a digital environment where even tiny facial movements are magnified. A custom tracking system using JavaScript Node System and WebSockets watches the performer's face to detect expressions like sadness or happiness. These expressions then trigger and warp live audio inside Max MSP, while Unity generates a digital mask that reacts and changes on screen in sync with the performer's movements.

 

Persona was premiered by Heather Byford on November 2, 2025, at the Phillip T Young at the University of Victoria.