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Response to Reading assignment

Voegelin, Salomé. Listening to Noise and Silence. New York: Bloomsbury Academic & Professional, 2014. Accessed June 4, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central.

“If I notice a concurrent sound, I most likely subsume that heard into the appreciation of the seen: sound fleshes out the visual and renders it real; it gives the image its spatial dimension and temporal dynamic.” - Voegelin, Salomé. Listening to Noise and Silence.

In her book, Listening to Noise and Silence, Salomé Voegelin addresses the notions of Listening, Noise, Silence, Time and Space and Now and examines the perceptibility of both the objectivity and subjectivity of sound. Voegelin states that the book aims to address “the perceptual engagement with sound” and analyse “the consequences of the discussion,” but in doing so also encourages the reader to “consider listening as an actual practice” and “a conceptual sensibility.” This is in the hopes of prompting new questions regarding the philosophy of art as a means to disrupt the discourse of perceived understanding of the “visual aesthetic” surrounding the notion of sound, all without suggesting any one fixed position. The book is divided into five sections, each section or chapter is set to address one of the five concepts previously mentioned. The first three chapters focus on a means of engaging with the world through intent listening as well as experiencing the presence and absence of audial incentives - both through artistically made and everyday environments. Whereas the latter two explore the spatio-temporal relationship and reflect back on the listening subject.In this response however, I aim to focus more around the idea presented in Voegelin’s first chapter, Listening.

During one weeks Creative Sound Design class earlier in the year [2017], lecturer Patrick Soper, planned a visit to a local Auckland CBD creative’s facility - The Audio Foundation. Before undergoing the modest 15 minute walk there, he proposed a listening activity to the class: To actively tune into to our surrounding environment and absorb as much of it as was possible. Simply put, he was asking the class to practice listening - as an active process - and consider the elements of what contributed to the sounds being heard. Rather than filter out the hustle and bustle of two of Aucklands busiest streets (Queen Street & Karangahape Road) - as most regularly do - the aim of the exercise was to notice the qualities of sounds; such as the reverb in the stairway on the walk down and out of Auckland University of Technology’s WE building, and the odd sound of the classes footsteps reverberating in the space under overhanging cover on Upper Queen Street. To listen to sirens blaring in the distance a few blocks over, and the satisfying thrum of multiple vehicle engines and high pitched screeches of brakes being applied to passing cars. To be present for the booms, clangs, crashes. This exercise helped to make sense of something I had intentionally been practicing on multiple occasions yet had never known was an actual practice.

“It is in the engagement with the world rather than in its perception that the world and myself within it are constituted, and it is the sensorial mode of that engagement that determines my constitution and that of the world.” - Voegelin, Salomé. Listening to Noise and Silence.

The concept of listening being more than what most would usually overlook and consider nothing but an everyday, normal “physiological fact” or ‘thing’, and instead being an active practice or activity which requires the listener(s) to interact and engage with sound in its purest form as a relational ‘thing’ by paying particular attention to both its presence - noise - and its absence - silence. By engaging with sound without the intent to make associations or give it meaning and rather partake in ‘deep listening’ whilst considering sound as relative to/with oneself rather than separate oneself through distance, the listener perceives sound as objective as opposed to subjective

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Creative Sound Design Year 3 Semester 1 Project

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Project Report

Originally for this project I had wanted to look into and explore the art of taonga puoro - maori musical instruments - usually involve/utilise the use of wind/ air and/or breath to produce sound. It is said that in the past, taonga puoro and the sounds produced were considered to have healing properties. Perhaps not for physical wounds per se, but mental/spiritual wounds that the listener may have that could possibly be preventing the healing of physical wounds. More often than not, it is believed that something causing mental/spiritual pain could affect the physical healing process(es). I think what drew me to this concept and form of sound making was that I strongly believe that a lot of our native peoples are still heavily burdened by the past and haven’t learned/ have forgotten how to deal with pain/grievances, process it, and heal themselves as well as others. Speaking from personal experience, I feel lost/broken, not knowing more about my family and cultural histories. Although I may (claim to) be “tangata whenua” I also feel like a foreign body. Reconnecting with my “roots” has often brought some clarity and put some part of me at ease. I think that’s why I’m so interested in reconnecting with my culture within both my studio practice and CSD practice. The name I’ve given to my current studio brief concept is (learning/)unlearning/relearning. Because of my current lack of knowledge about and access to taonga puoro instruments, I strayed from the idea of producing a work inspired by it and instead chose to create a piece that looked more into who I was and where a part of me is from.

Initially when starting my ‘new’ idea, I wanted to create an atmosphere of ‘home’ or a ‘safe space’. Although I could have made a piece made essentially of sounds of my literal home/house, I’ve always considered ‘home’ to be more of a feeling - that can be created - than a specific place. But because that is a little difficult to recreate with sound I decided to select a place I’ve always felt has been/will be home: Turangi. It’s not exactly the place itself that makes me feel ‘at home’ but the memories of the area the the people (my whanau) as well as the local sounds that bring a calmness over me. Some of these sounds include - but are not limited to - the rushing flow of the Tongariro river behind the family homestead, the crickets and cicadas, the bird singing in the trees in the garden and on the street, the wind rustling through the leaves on the trees, the sound of my cousins, siblings and aunties, uncles, nannies, koros and wider whanau playing, laughing, talking, sharing stories and memories of ‘the good old days’, “jamming”/singing old songs/waiata with nothing to accompany them but an old guitar.

What I eventually ended up with for my sound piece is something I wasn’t entirely sure of until I heard it the night we presented our works at the Audio Foundation. Hearing it outside of my dads homemade studio kind of brought it to life for me. I had stuck to what I had intended to do from the beginning of the year, relate my work back to my studio practice, where I aim to learn more not only about my culture but also myself. Hearing the river slowly then all at once come rushing through the speakers, followed by the melodic chorus of the birds, and the calming sound of the crickets and cicadas all slowly building intensity with each passing second, then to hearing my voice recite my pepeha, in both Maori and English. (My dad actually suggested I do it in both because although I am part Maori I was raised speaking English, and I shouldn’t forget that side of myself whilst chasing my culture). Then came the waiata to accompany...as per the norm after someone speaks. For this, I asked my family (mom, dad, and brothers) to help me with the recording of - so that it wasn’t only myself. Although there is nothing wrong with that, I felt it added more to the piece having my family sing with me. I also added some reverb and ambience to it as well as brought down the levels in an attempt to send it back a little into the background, so it sounded almost as if my ancestors were singing it also. The hinaki actually speaks of the land my family occupy in Turangi especially the river I took most of my recordings at, and also mentions the names of some of my tipuna or key figure relatives/ancestors who my whanau descended from. I was told a loose translation of the waiata but would definitely be interested in learning more about it as well as the history of the land. After a brief break between songs there is a chance to once again hear the river, birds and crickets. The final song is an original, written by my father just a few days before the hand in. The translation of it from English to Maori wasn’t fully completed but the gist of it is in there. The translation of it was also quite fitting for the piece so we decided to record it. He played and sang the main while I tried to find quiet harmonies in the background- these aren’t so easily heard.

Overall if I could change anything about my piece it would probably be the quality of the ‘dialogue’/vocal parts. And maybe also the levels, they seem a little quiet when I listen to it on other devices that don’t have great speaker quality, such as my phone and laptop. Otherwise I would’ve also liked to get more into the taonga puoro idea and learn more about the making and playing of the instruments, and the history of them. Rob Thorne and Richard Nunns have definitely sparked an interest in the subject for me.

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Notes from my workbook relevant to sound piece

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Pepeha

Tihei Mauri Ora!

Ko Pihanga toku maunga Ko Tongariro toku awa Ko Taupo-nui-a -tia toku moana Ko Te Arawa toku waka Ko Tuwharetoa toku  iwi Ko Turangitukua toku hapu Ko Hamiora toku Papa Ko Ingrid toku Mama Ko Barrett raua ko Tanner aku teina Ko Carew toku tuahine e kua mate Ko Makahn toku ingoa No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena ra koutou katoa

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marklist and brief summary/documentation of interesting things on several of my recordings

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An entry log in my workbook that I’ve thrashed out a little more and added to whilst writing this up

An idea I had for my sound piece after having changed my mind about doing something inspired by taonga puoro due to a lack of planning (on my part), inexperience, and having little to no access to appropriate/desired materials/instruments, was to create an atmospheric soundscape that kind of followed a narrative. Have a person/character following a little bird (perhaps a tui or fantail) that is flying around the created space - through a forest on a trail...think of the forestry areas in Turangi. (Maybe ask Tori for some tips on how best to approach this idea seeing as she did a great job with moving sound in one of her multi-channel pieces last year. The little bird could stop at significant times and in these moments the person/listener has a chance to listen to their surroundings more and take in the sounds of the created space. Some of these significant sounds during the stops could be the running of a nearby river (walking along beside it, weaving through trees following the path closer and futher away from the river, the wind in the trees, birds flying around the tree tops and singing their chorus, crickets and cicadas, bring the forest to life with each breath that the “listener” takes....try to make the forest seem as though it is alive and breathing as well, maybe? Also include the crunching of the persons footsteps over fallen leaves, twigs, branches, gravel, dirt (different surfaces). Also perhaps try to include some incline in the terrain to create different breathing patterns? Also take into consideration that if it is the central north island there could potentially be opportunity to introduce geothermal activity in the sounds - mud/water bubbling and boiling, geysers, etc.

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Excerpt from “Te Ara Puoro”

Quoted from Joseph Banks - waking in Queen Charlotte Sound on 17 Jan 1770 “Dawn Chorus”

“- This morn I was awaked by the singing of the birds ashore from whence we are distant not a quarter of a mile, the numbers of them were certainly very great who seemed to strain their throats with emulation... [Their] voices were certainly the most melodious wild musick I have ever heard, almost imitating small bells but with the most tuneable silver sound imaginable.”

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Deep Listening

- “Listening in every possible way to everything possible, to hear no matter what one is doing” - Pauline Oliveros

DL - explores difference between involuntary nature of hearing and the voluntary, selective nature - exclusive and inclusive - of listening practice includes bodywork, sonic meditations, interactive performance, listening to the sounds of daily life, nature, one’s own thoughts, imagination and dreams, and listening to listening itself. It cultivates a heightened awareness of the sonic environment, both external and internal and promotes experimentation, improvisation, collaboration, playfulness and other creative skills vital to personal and community growth.

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Second lot of photos from trip back home to Turangi to gather sounds (16/17 May)

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Some photos from my trip back home to Turangi collecting sounds (16/17 May)

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Make a sound piece that is a culmination of sounds that I find soothing or remind me of “home” and/or represent the idea of a sort of “safe space” 

key words: soothing, home, safe space, calming, comfort, homely, safe, (nostalgia?), asmr

Q’s:  -How can I do this (^) using sound? -What sounds do this for/to me? Why? -Which sounds do I find soothing? -Which sounds remind me of home? -What sounds represent the making of/being at/in a safe space? -What does soothing mean? -to me? etc...

Invoking atmosphere with sound

note: home (place) “is too busy” for what I’m trying to capture but perhaps thats exactly what I should be looking at?

Soothing sounds: -pitter patter of rain (on a roof/surface) -running water - river, creek “nature sounds” birds calling, trees lightly rustling

homely sounds: -dad playing around on the gat -chitter chatter -people “jamming” -laughs from the tummy (hearty/honest laughs)

safe space sounds: -all of the above -invoke a sense of being “carefree”

Trip to Turangi: 16-17 May leave in the morning (tues) 4-5 hour drive record during drive, then once arrived - throughout day and night as well as next day Arrive back wed night Think about whether you want to include a vocal component? -reading of a poem -lowkey unstaged conversations with nanny and koro, aunties, uncles.

will you use multi channel to convey the idea of walking through a forest following a bird (eg fantail)

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Describing ASMR

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To listen to samples of pounamu taonga puoro + a sample of the soundscape developed for the Kura Pounamu