SOUNDSCAPES, LISTENING AND ATTENTION

PHD MERI KYTÖ

UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN FINLAND

MERI.KYTO@UEF.FI

REALM OF THE SENSES / AALTO 10.2.2014

LECTURE OUTLINESoundscape definition

Soundscape Studies

Acoustic communication

Key terms

Listening

Attention

Modes (intentionality)

Dispositions

Soundscape and sound art

Phonography

”arranging”

SOUNDSCAPE STUDIESBackground of the field

• The joy and challenge of multidiscplinaritySome literature:

• Schafer: The tuning of the world (1977)• Truax: Acoustic communication (1984)• Five village soundscapes (1975)• Acoustic environments in change (2009)• Järviluoma et al: Sata suomalaista äänimaisemaa

(2004)• Augoyard & Torgue: A l’ecoute d’environnement:

Répertoire des effets sonores (1995)• Expansive field: web resources

WORLD SOUNDSCAPE PROJECT

World Soundscape Project

• Simon Fraser University, Vancouver (Canada), 1970s• Multidisciplinarity, radio programs, recording• Cultural meaning of sound, the positive approach• Local decision making • Change, sounds forth saving, soundscape design • Listening to the environment, pedagogy (”ear cleaning”)

FIVE VILLAGE SOUNDSCAPES / ACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENTS IN CHANGE

1975: Cembra, Bissingen, Lesconil, Skruv, Dollar

• Methodological experiments• dB measurements, sound preference tests, listening

walks, sound diaries, prominent sounds heard, traffic count

2000: + Nauvo• Methodological update

• Cultural research and ethnomusicology, change, memory studies, ethics, positionality

• 2009-2012: Soundscapes and cultural sustainability

ONE HUNDRED FINNISH SOUNDSCAPES

Sata suomalaista äänimaisemaa (2004-2006)

• Idea from Japan: 100 japanese soundscapes (K. Torigoe)• Finnish Society for Acoustic Ecology + SKS, YLE, TaY, TY,

JoY, TAMK, Sibelius-museum• Written proposals / descriptions, a competition

• Recording and interviews• Radio programs and publications• Research• Archiving• Äänitys ja haastattelut

• A new project coming up this year…

ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATIONBarry Truax 2001• A theoretical frame for studying soundscapes

from the point of view of information exchange• Key point: contextuality• sound are always listened to in context, not as

sound objects• Listener as an active participant in information

exchange, not as a passive receiver of sound data• Semantic continuum • speech – music – soundscape

• Interaction between individual (community) and the environment

sound

environmentlistener

”The coat hanger”

SOME KEY TERMS

Keynote

Soundmark Sound signal

Acoustic horizon

Lo-Fi

Hi-Fi

Noise

Silence

Schizophonia transphonia

Sound event

Sound object Pierre Schaeffer: objet sonore

Soundscape competence ”home keys”

METHODS? DISCIPLINES?Hildegard Westerkamp: soundscape composition, listening walksSteven Feld: acoustemology, ”styding in sound”Cultural studies, music reseach, ethnography, athropology, sociology, urban studies, environmental studies, sound art, media culture, archeology, ecology, youth studies, gender studies, education, geography, urban planning / architectureSound studiesAuditory culture studies

• Talking or writing about listening • Recordings, photographs, videos

• Observation and documenting• Sensory ethnography

LISTENING

Tuuri & Eerola 2012: 7

LISTENING ATTENTION

background listening listening-in-readiness listening-in-search

LISTENING MODES

DENOTATIVE

Causal

Empathetic

Functional

Semantic

EXPERIENTIAL

Connotative

Kinaesthetic

Reflexive

REFLECTIVE

Critical

Reduced

Tuuri & Eerola: Formulating a revised taxonomy for modes of listening.

Journal of new music research 4/2012: 147.

PHONOGRAPHY ”Phonography as: activism; archive; autopsy; catharsis;

composition; design; discovery; documentation; eavesdropping; habit; interpretation; interpose; forecast; mapping; overhearing; reportage; sensitization; simulacra; surveillance; tourism; ventriloquism; vivisection; yardstick ” (Phonography conference 2011)

http://www.chriswatson.net/ http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/hallilau/galleria.htm

Bill Fontana:

http://www.resoundings.org/Pages/Speeds_of_Time_new.html

SOUND MAPS http://turkukuuntelee.fi/

http://map.europeanacousticheritage.eu/?page_id=702

http://www.montrealsoundmap.com/?lang=en

http://fm.hunter.cuny.edu/nysae/nysoundmap/soundseeker.html

http://www.soinumapa.net/?lang=en

http://www.soundsurvey.org.uk/

http://locusonus.org/soundmap/034/

http://aporee.org/maps/ http://www.bogonauta.co/

SOUND PERFORMANCE / ART AS ARRANGING

Peter Szendy: Listening – A history of our ears (2001/2008) Arranging: how do you listen? what do you hear?

John Cage: 4’33’’

David Rothenberg: http://whybirdssing.com/

John Oswald:http://www.plunderphonics.com/

AUDIO BUT NOT ONLY AUDIOLuc Ferrari: Presque rien (1968)Alvin Lucier: I am sitting in a room (1969): http://www.ubu.com/sound/lucier.html

Hildegard Westerkamp: Kits Beach Soundwalk (1989)

Claude Schryer: Drone song from Vancouver soundscapes

Steven Feld: various documents ”A score for a hole in the ground”Christina Kubisch: electrical walks