During this special Pride edition of the Silence music series, Alex Blum presented Sister Songs, a performance about the relationship between the characteristics of the voice and its use outside gender norms. The sound and pitch of the voice are usually considered decisive indicators of a person's gender. Certain voices are traditionally considered typically male or female. But what happens outside this standardized idea? As in music history, there are examples of deviations in this area, such as countertenors and castrati.

Like a sonic choreography, Sister Songs invited us to listen differently and break free from traditional thinking about gender.

The collaboration behind Sister Songs began as part of Alex Blum's graduation trajectory at the School for New Dance Development (SNDO) in Amsterdam. The choreography emerged in collaboration with Katrine Grarup Elbo, who, as a violinist and composer, enriched the sonic landscape and, more importantly, supported Alex as a sister and witness in their exploration of gender non-binary listening.

Alex Blum on the performance: 'Through sound and movement research of our relationship as sisters, we explored how gender politics manifest in different spaces, where some actions are seen as 'private,' such as sounds of pleasure, and others as 'public,' such as political engagements. With an interest in spaces beyond these binaries, we began developing Sister Songs in collaboration with scenographer Lou J. Seidel, who created a spatial installation for the premiere of the work at Tempel Amsterdam on March 23, 2023.'