Almost sixty years after its creation, Stripsody (1966) by Cathy Berberian retains a vibrant energy and an exceptional potential to mediate 20th-century musical languages and introduce contemporary vocality. Built as a collage of onomatopoeic sounds, and described by Berberian herself as “a fun piece rather than a composition”, Stripsody continues to surprise and engage through its playful, ironic, and embodied approach to the voice.

In this presentation, I propose a performative and pedagogical reading of Stripsody from the perspective of a singer specializing in contemporary vocal repertoire and a practice-based PhD researcher focused on the performer’s role in the mediation of this repertoire.
Having performed the piece in concert and used it in numerous workshops (with both singers and non-singers) I have found Stripsody — especially in the iconic graphic score version by Roberto Zamarin, which acts as an effective pedagogical and mediating device — to be a powerful tool for vocal exploration and a uniquely effective entry point into contemporary music. It allows participants to explore vocal expression beyond traditional technique, and creates a space where curiosity, play, experimentation, and active listening serve as access routes to unfamiliar sound worlds.

Through examples of educational and performance projects, I will show how Stripsody can unsettle normative listening frameworks, foster more open and creative approaches to how contemporary music is shared and perceived, and invite an aesthetic experience where playfulness, irony, and freedom take center stage.

Finally, I will outline a possible approach to studying and teaching Stripsody — not as a rigid method, but as an open, exploratory path. The piece proves to be a flexible and generative resource, adaptable to various contexts — from solo performance to group workshops — and capable of inspiring a living reflection on the relationship between voice, notation, and creative freedom, even for new generations of performers and audiences.