Place, composition and subjectivity
What makes these things important?
- Place
- Presents
- Voice
This week session is the consideration of space and our place within it. For example we see some woods as a particular place but what do we recognise in the spaces? The awareness of the space changes with ones intentionality.
The Soundscape: Our Sonic Environment And The Tuning Of The World by Murray Schafer (1977)
- In the book Schafer brings light into the importance of paying attention to the visual and sonic environment around us
- He notes that modernisation has changed our sonic landscapes, cars, machines and amplified technologies have flooded our everyday life
- He talks about a major concern in the noise pollution and the loss of subtle sounds
- Its a great insight too look into how the world around can be digested sonically
Questions to think about when listening audio
- What makes a place sound good?
- How does sound create a sense of place?
- How are you involved in the production of place?
- What makes you feel out of place?
- How to record a sense of place?
- How do you effect place?
Recording in a space changes the mindset of how its listened, its important to look into this.
Reflection
This session made me think differently about how I move through and listen to places. Ive never really questioned how much of place is something I actively help produce rather than something that just exists around me. The idea that my awareness shifts depending on my intention really stood out once I started listening more carefully, the space changes.
Schaefer’s ideas helped me understand why this matters. His concerns about noise pollution and the loss subtle sounds feel even more relevant today. We’re so used to constant mechanical noise that we barely notice it anymore, yet it’s shaping how we experience the world. It makes me realise that recording a place isn’t just about capturing what’s there, its about acknowledging what has been masker or erased by modern sound.
Overall this session helped me see sonic environments as something active relational and subjective. It reminds me that listening is a form of engagement and that understanding a place through sound requires patience, curiosity and a willingness to notice things that normally disappear.