BONNIE BARNETT created the HUM in 1981, with a small, acoustic vocal event in San Francisco. A short verbal score, or list of instructions, outlines the process of breathing, humming and singing, all in a harmonious major tonality.
"Singing together in harmony creates a wonderful feeling of community, of being part of a group. Singing is vibration – vibration is movement – movement is change. When we sing, we feel good, we fill ourselves with enthusiasm."
2020 HUMMING TOGETHER APART #2 - a socially-distant participatory event tracking geographic locations (5/20)
2020 HUMMING TOGETHER APART #1- a socially-distant participatory event tracking geographic locations (3/20)
2019 FEMME HUM – Part of the Femme Frequencies Festival, Artshare L.A., Los Angeles
2018 EAGLE ROCK HUM – Eagle Rock Center for the Arts as part of the monthly Open Gate Series featuring Bonnie Barnett (vocals), Richard Wood (alto sax & flute), Dan Clucas (trumpet), Hal Onserud (bass), Richard Walker, baritone sax and William Roper, tuba, as instrumentalists.
2017 EAGLE ROCK HUM – Eagle Rock Center for the Arts as part of the monthly Open Gate Series featuring Bonnie Barnett (vocals), Richard Wood (alto sax & flute), Dan Clucas (trumpet), Hal Onserud (bass) and Garth Powell (percussion)
2015 EAGLE ROCK HUM – Eagle Rock Center for the Arts as part of the monthly Open Gate Series
2014 NOE VALLEY HUM– in a resonant chapel at the Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco (12/14)
2014 SKYSPACE HUM– part of Diverse Works’ SonicWorks Festival, on the campus of Rice University, in the James Turrell installation “Twilight Epiphany” (2/14)
2014 ANOTHER UNDER HOUSTON HUMMING– part of Diverse Works’ SonicWorks Festival, Houston (2/14)
2004 ROCK HUM– Eagle Rock Center for the Arts, as part of the Open Gate Music Series, Los Angeles
2000 MILLENNIUM HUMS – 4 events in and around London as part of the Sacred Voices Millennium Music Village Festival, London– Regents Park, October Gallery, Richmond Riverside and at the Roundhouse (6/2000)
1999 MILLENNIUM HUM I, Electronic Cafe International, Santa Monica, with global cybercast for worldwide participation, part of World Festival of Sacred Music, The Americas (10/99)
1995 SUMMER HUMMING, Herbst Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco (7/95)
1995 TRANSJAM, with HUMLET, The Kitchen, Feminine Instincts Festival, New York (3/95)
1994 STANFORD STUDENTS HUMMING, in a resonant stairwell at Florence Moore Hall, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA(2/94)
1994 RADIO HUMLET, live radio event on West Coast Live, hosted by Sedge Thompson, uplinked across the country via NPR satellite hook-up, San Francisco (2/94)
1994 THE RETURN OF THE HUM, Ft. Mason Center, San Francisco, sponsored by the Ft. Mason Foundation (2/94)
1994 VENTURA CITY HUM, Ventura City Hall, with Barnett Band, Ventura, CA (9/94)
1992 COMA HUM, part of the California Outside Music Association's 5th Annual Day of Music, Hello Artichoke Gallery, Hollywood (10/31)
1992 ONYX HUMMING, with the BARNETT BAND, Onyx Cafe, Hollywood (July 5)
1992 MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S HUM, with the BARNETT BAND, Edgemar Summer Music Series, Santa Monica (June 21)
1992 SANTA MONICA/PARIS HUMMING (MURMURANT), a videophone linked HUM, Electronic Cafes in Santa Monica and La Cite at La Villette (May 17)
1992 REUNION HUM, Berkeley Store Gallery, with BARNETT BAND (2/25)
1992 WILBUR HALL HUM, Stanford University, with BARNETT BAND (2/24)
1992 GALLERY HUM, with BARNETT BAND, Onyx Cafe, Hollywood (2/16)
1991 KNOT HUM, The Knitting Factory, New York (12/6)
1991 ONYX SEQUEL HUM and CONCERT with Lisa Moskow, sarod, Hollywood (10/13)
1991 WALKER BUILDING HUMMING, California Outside Music Association ANNUAL DAY OF MUSIC, Long Beach (9/28)
1991 ONYX SEQUEL HUM and BARNETT QUINTET Concert, Hollywood (9/22)
1991 SANTA BARBARA HUMMING II, Santa Barbara Day of Music, produced by the SB Jazz and Traditional Music Society (5/25)
1991 ONYX SEQUEL HUMMING, Hollywood (2/24)
1991 PIK-ME-UP HUM, at the Pik-Me-Up Cafe, Hollywood (2/10)
1990 VENUSIAN HUM, Beyond Baroque Foundation, Venice, CA (12/1)
1990 GALLERY HUM, Joanne Warfield Gallery, West Hollywood (11/10)
1990 GALLERY HUM, Ventura Arts Commission Concert, Ventura, CA (9/22)
1990 ONYX SEQUEL HUMMING, Hollywood (9/16)
1990 MALL HUM, COMA's DAY OF MUSIC, at System M Cafe, Long Beach (9/15)
1990 GALLERY HUM, part of Los Angeles Festival's ART BUS TOUR, at the Joanne Warfield Gallery, West Hollywood (8/25)
1990 SANTA BARBARA HUMMING, a performance event in the Presidio Chapel as part of the Santa Barbara Day of Music (3/28)
1990 GALLERY HUM, and vocal concert, at LACE, part of the Winter Sonic Series co-produced by LACE and the ICA (Independent Composers Association), Los Angeles (1/12)
1989 COMMUTER HUM, live over KFYI, CBS affiliate in Phoenix, Arizona (9/89)
1988 GLOBAL HUM, live video satellite broadcast sponsored by the World Philharmonic Orchestra. Singers in Moscow, Geneva, Montreal, Santa Fe and Irvine were invited to sing along with HUM participants in San Francisco (12/13)
1988 GALLERY HUMMING, Outside Sound Festival, San Francisco Art Commission Gallery (10/88)
1988 SUMMER TUNNEL HUMMING, Fort Mason, San Francisco (7/88)
1988 MACARTHUR PARK HUM II, MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, sponsored by the ICA (Independent Composers Association) (4/17)
1987 CITY COUNCIL HUM, by invitation of the Santa Monica City Council, (12/1)
1987 MT. SHASTA HUMs, two events presented with Tibetan Bell player Katherine Wersen, in conjunction with the Harmonic Convergence (8/87)
1987 KEY'S ANTHEM, a HUM-like event using text of Star Spangled Banner, commissioned by the Santa Monica Arts Commission for its 4th of July celebration, Dawn's Early Light (7/4)
1987 MAYHUM, in a water tunnel in San Diego County, part of the Spring Series produced by the Music Department, University of California, San Diego (La Jolla) (5/87)
1987 MACARTHUR PARK HUM, MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, part of New Music Los Angeles Festival 1987, sponsored by the ICA (Independent Composers Association) (3/87)
1986 CENTRAL PARK HUM, New York, Experimental Intermedia Foundation
1986 EAST BAY HUM, Codornices Park Tunnel, Berkeley (7/86)
1986 HIGH FLIGHT HUM, a live event which took place at 30,000 feet, on a flight from San Francisco to Houston, as part of New Music America Festival 1986 (4/86)
1986 UNDER HOUSTON HUMMING, live radio event designed for underground pedestrian tunnel system of Houston, Texas, broadcast live by KPFT-FM, part of New Music America (4/86)
1986 AMERICA HUM, at the New School for Social Research, broadcast live by WNYC-FM as part of their 4th annual Americathon, in celebration of American Music Week (2/86)
1986 GALLERY HUM, Noe Valley Music Series, San Francisco (1/86)
1985 AUTO HUM, live event at KPFK-FM, Los Angeles, broadcast live for car commuter participation, part of New Music America Festival 1985 (11/1)
1985 MAYHUM, Fort Mason Railroad Tunnel, San Francisco (5/85)
1984 ROTUNDA HUM, City Hall, part of City-wide Festival, San Francisco (10/84)
1984 TUNNEL HUM 1984, live radio broadcast of the mix of live events in San Francisco, New York and Seattle, designed for listener participation, carried live by 8 public radio stations nationwide on 9/30/84, and on a tape delayed basis by 7 other stations
1984 SEATTLE HUM and workshop, Cornish Institute, Seattle (9/84)
1984 GALLERY HUMMING, San Francisco Art Institute (4/84)
1983 WINTER TUNNEL HUMMING, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco (12/83)
1983 AUTUMN HUM, Golden Gate Park, part of Art in the Park Festival (10/83)
1984 GROUNDHOG HUM, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco (2/84)
1983 TUNNEL HUM USA, live radio broadcast of the mix of live events in San Francisco and New York, designed for listener participation, carried live by 8 public radio stations nationwide on 7/31/83, and on a tape delayed basis by 5 other stations
1983 SUMMER TUNNEL HUMMING, Riverside Drive Boat Basin and Rotunda, part of Charlie Morrow's International Solstice Celebration and mixed with events taking place worldwide, New York (6/83)
1982 TUNNEL HUM II, part of San Francisco Summer Festival (7/82)
1981 TUNNEL HUM, a site-specific installation in the pedestrian tunnel under the Great Highway at the beach, part of New Music America Festival 1981 (8/81)