Eighteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

This paper shares pedagogical strategies developed for an interdisciplinary course on acoustic ecology and sonic art. The unifying theme of this course is an engagement with sound, environment, and society at large, through contemplative, critical and creative exploration. Critical listening approaches and strategies are drawn from many sources, including deep listening practice (Oliveros) sonological competence (Schafer) soundwalks (Westerkamp) compassionate listening (Thich Nhat Hanh) and many others. These awareness practices are combined with readings from acoustic ecology, sound art, experimental music, sound theory, aesthetics and ethics. The students engage in listening practices, soundwalks, and field recording exercises that lead into projects in soundscape studies, community engagement, and creative sound composition. Strategic listening exercises are used throughout the course, including describing and analyzing sounds, keeping listening diaries, using audio recorders for investigation, and then using their new-found skills to create soundscape compositions. Students move from basic listening practices and field recording into more complex projects, including creative sound compositions that explore aspects of location, context, transformation and musical / sonic esthetics, as well as the embedded meanings in the sounds they discover or create. By creating a safe, reflective, and collaborative environment, students from a wide range of backgrounds are able to come together and explore this interdisciplinary field, while increasing their understanding of themselves and the world around them. In this paper, I share some of the strategies I have developed for facilitating this type of engaged interdisciplinary learning experience.

Presenters

Thomas Ciufo
Associate Professor, Director of Arts and Technology Labs, Music / Arts and Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, United States