The Big Picture
Themes,
issues, musings, and reflections that offer a context for appreciating
the work of soundscape recordists and producers.
Poetry
The Place Where You Go To
Llisten - John Luther Adams. A prose poem evoking the ancient,
eternal exchange of listening presence between humanity and our
homes. [GO THERE]
Interviews
Steven Feld on Rainforest Soundwalks
- Carlos Palombini. An in-depth interview in which noted
ethnomusicologist Feld explicates his intentions and process in
making Rainforest Soundwalks, his only all-environmental sound release.
[GO THERE]
Essays
Personal Reflections on Sound
On
a Clear Day I Can Hear Forever - Gary Ferrington.
On the soundings of a medium sized city. [GO
THERE]
The Last Laugh - Wendy Liles.
On the curse--and blessing--of not being able to shut out the sounds
of the city. [GO THERE]
Take
a Listening Walk and Learn to Listen - Gary
Ferrington. A very accessible introduction to soundwalking, and
the simple act of paying attention to sound. [GO
THERE]
Melting Ice and Stranded Penguins: A
Story of Global Warming - Listen to an 8 minute radio journalism
piece by Kathy Turco, reporting from Antarctica. [GO
THERE]
Society and Sound
Speaking with Animal Toungues - David
Abram. Rich reflections on the ways that humans grew with, and away
from, a sensory awareness of the world around us. [GO
THERE]
The Eternal Story, in its Original Language
- Jim Cummings. An introduction to the ways that soundscape producers
are offering a sonic guidepost to remembering. [GO
THERE]
From Ethnomusicology to Echo-Muse-Ecology
- Steven Feld. On the ways that environment gives rise to
music-making in the Papua New Guinea rainforest; and the transformation
of experience in an academic field researcher upon discovery of
the emerging field of Acoustic Ecology. [GO
THERE]
Acoustic Responsibility: A Concept Whose
Time Has Come - Peter Donnelly. Putting our social tolerance
for noise in perspective, and calling for a renewed sense of responsibility
for our soundmaking. [GO
THERE]
History and Philosophy of Soundscape Art
Concertos for the Forest - Walter
Tilgner's European Sound Images: Hans Ulrich Werner. A biographical
essay on one of Europe's formative nature sound recordists; also
serves to introduce several creative and social concerns common
to many in the field. [GO
THERE]
The Parodox of Listening to Recorded
Nature - Jim Cummings. On the strange concept of extracting
a single sensory element -- sound -- and intending thereby to encourage
a more integrated experience of the world we walk in day to day.
Also addresses the fact that no soundscape recording can pretend
to duplicate even the sonic experience of a place.
[GO THERE]
Environmental Sound Matter -
Francisco Lopez. An extended essay that takes exception to many
of the standard ways of considering nature sound production, and
makes a case for a "profound listening" that is quite
separate from place-centered reverie. [GO
THERE]
Schizophrenia v. l'objet sonore
- Francisco Lopez. Another provocative foray, contrasting two major
perspectives on soundscapes: one that sees this work as healing
a rift between humanity and nature, and another that is more interested
in the new and uncharted artistic territories of composing with
sound objects, without reference to their source. [GO
THERE]
Music: Abstraction and Extraction -
René van Peer. An insightful overview of the various philosophical
and stylistic approaches to environmental sound production, from
a European music journalist who is among the world's most widely
experienced soundscape reviewers. [GO
THERE]
Hildegard Westekamp: A Monograph on her
work - Andra McCartney. Academic paper on Westerkamp's approach
to soundscape composition, including detailed analysis of several
works. (will open in new window) [GO
THERE]
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