Violet Gave Willingly

Violet Gave Willingly is the name of both Sanford’s new album and the documentary made by her sister, Claire Sanford about their mother. Violet Gave Willingly immerses us in the colourful world of textile artist Deborah Dumka, inviting viewers to witness the unflinchingly intimate details of her artistic process and inner life. Nestled in a cluttered studio by the sea, we witness an artist at work on a project that delves into a past unspoken. An intimate study of the nature of memory and how it can both harm and protect, the film lays bare the continuum and legacy of gender-based discrimination, sexism, and sexual violence. More than a portrait, the film is a conversation. As mother and daughter struggle to give voice to their experiences, power radiates from speaking uncomfortable truths.

To create the score for the film Sophia wrote a letter. Into it she poured all that has been left unsaid to those who take from us our comfort, our autonomy, our educations, and our futures. Reading and recording the letter, scrambling the audio beyond repair or recognition, then burning the physical copy Sophia started the journey of scoring Violet Gave Willingly. They created 8 cues composed entirely of voice. These cues have been developed out into 8 pieces of meditative music built from the same vocal samples. A 45-minute journey of layered and expansive vocal sound scapes are designed to be a companion to the piece and all that it brings up for those who watch it. People are invited to use this music to process, meditate, journal, move to, or escape.

Sophia recruited their eldest sister Hannah Sanford, a printmaker, to create the stunning cover art. Prints and original tests will sell as merch for this project.

Currently Sophia is developing a live show with video & sound for both installation and performance. Inviting folks to process in real time, writing and reading letters that can be spoken into mics which run through FX to create complimentary noises that evolve and interact with the soundtrack in real time.