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Hildegard Westerkamp and the Ecology of Sound as Experience. : Notes on Beneath the Forest Floor
Get PDFA pioneer of acoustic ecology, the composer and soundmaker Hildegard Westerkamp shows that sound is not only a mere vehicle of representation or way to arouse emotions: her musical works and writings activate an awareness that sound is a decisive dimension of the world. In this view, music becomes dialectical, allowing us to construct a subjectivity that would care for the world. The expression of this idea follows two modalities: on the one hand, it understands music as experience and, in particular, as experience of place; and on the other hand, it puts forward music’s capacity to create links, connections and bonds. The 1992 two-track tape Beneath the Forest Floor illustrates the development of these thoughts. “Composed from sounds recorded in old-growth forests on British Columbia’s West Coast,” this work “moves us through the visible forest, into its shadow world, its’ spirit; into that which [a]ffects our body, heart and mind when we experience forest” (H. Westerkamp, “Beneath the Forest Floor,” http://www.sfu.ca/~westerka/program_notes/forestfloor.html)
Bell Tower of False Creek
Get PDFI’m looking at an archival photo of Vancouver’s Burrard Bridge taken by James Crookall in 1936. The air is thick on the shore of False Creek and the view is eerily similar to what you might see on any January day after the fog has settled in for one of its regular winter sojourns blotting out the high-rise skyline for which Vancou- ver has come to be known as the City of Glass (Coupland 2009). On days like this it’s easy to imagine slipping into a past filled with the smoke of industry and the clearance of indigenous dwellings. Such hindrances to visibility don’t apply to sound and the 21st Century is well accounted for by the ear. Still, I wonder, what access might the present day soundscape provide to the world that Crookall heard as he focused his lens that day, not long after the bridge opened in the early 1930s
Interferences Between Acoustic Communication Threads in Enclosed Social Environments of Istanbul
Get PDFVarious threads of acoustic communication emerge in enclosed social environments (e.g. cafés, pubs, concert venues). While their hierar- chical order may vary based on the social occasion, these coexisting channels interfere with and condition each other. A primary strand which materializes amongst two or more individuals in a social space is that of verbal interaction. Another originates from recorded music playback in such venues; the music functions as an affordance of the establishment and conveys the mood of the place. Therefore, an acoustic communication thread, the main function of which is to moderate social behaviour, is formed between the environment and the individuals within it. A third avenue for acoustic communication within enclosed social environments can be traced between the live music performer and the audience at a concert venue.
This study aims at elaborating a real-world review of the aforementioned threads, and the interferences in-between, in the context of Istan- bul’s social life. Enclosed environments that range in social functions will be investigated as case studies; the communication processes that emerge within these spaces will be scrutinized through interviews and surveys with managers and customers, to portray the acoustic habitats of the given environments. This multi-perspective approach will allow us to reveal how differently these habitats impact social behaviour and whether the interference between two threads conditions the listening habits pertinent to a third one. Through these discus- sions, this paper will delineate a culturally idiosyncratic and modern view of social soundscapes in the city of Istanbul
Acoustic Ecology and Environmental Studies: A new academic home for the teaching of ecoacoustics
Get PDFIt is my intention to initiate an on-going dialogue about acous- tic ecology education. To begin that discussion I suggest that it is time to broaden the pedagogy of our field to include the social, economic, political, and cultural implications of soundscape studies and placing such effort within the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies. Such a refocusing of the academic mission of acoustic ecology will bring more attention to the concerns of acoustic ecologists and the growing body of research often overlooked by the scientific community
Bringing the Sounds Back to Etz Hayyim: An acoustic profile of a resurrected endangered space
Get PDFThe Etz Hayyim, (the Tree of Life), is the only remaining synagogue on the island of Crete, Greece. It is located in Parodos Kondylaki in the old Jewish quarter of Hania, a town in the north-west of Crete with a population of around 60,000.
In 1995, the Synagogue was listed as one of the 100 most endangered monuments in the world. This paper traces the sounds that were experienced, heard, listened to, and recorded in the restored synagogue from the beginning of November 2010 until the end of April 2011, just nine months after two arson attacks severely damaged the buildings and its contents. These sounds and stories heard and recorded at Etz Hayyim are those of a special and diverse international Jewish community. The building and the people have a unique history, whose values and identity are embodied in the sounds heard
Scientific Dissemination Practices in Basic Education: Reflections on a Brazilian Experience in a Public Technical School
Get PDFThis work assumes that it is a basic school commitment to contribute to scientific dissemination, scientific literacy, and the establishment of a culture of science in society, especially in Brazil, a country where scientific denialism is still very present. The purpose of this text is to reflect on the challenges and results of a practical experience with scientific dissemination at the Fundação Escola Técnica Liberato Salzano Vieira da Cunha, a public technical high school in Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Two actions carried out by a Portuguese language teacher at the institution are reported: the work with the discursive genre news for scientific dissemination in high school classes and the editorial of the journal Liberato Científica, the institution's journal for scientific dissemination
A Novel Pedagogical Tool For Childhood Education In STEM And STEAM Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals In Africa
Get PDFThe integrating of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) in Early Childhood Education in developing countries has proved to be a workable strategy in enhancing inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all (SDG 4) towards achieving Sustainable Development Agenda by the year 2030.This paper presents a critical review of early childhood education in Africa, its impacts, benefits, challenges and plausible remedies. Theoretical frameworks in use were x-rayed with basic characteristics and types of pedagogical tools highlighted. A firsthand experience of non-formal, community-linked and integrated approaches, STEM Play cycle and Culturo-Techno-Contextual Approach (CTCA) to STEM and STEAM education at childhood stage was carried out in Ekiti State, a rural –urban setting in densely populated Nigeria for this case study research. The role of culture and influence of environment in learning were showcased
A Case Study of Urban Design for Wellbeing and Mental Health in Brighton, UK
No full textBrighton, a vibrant, densely-populated city on the south-east coast of the UK, has worse mental health outcomes than the average for UK cities. Despite this, there have been efforts made to rectify this through promising planning and policy actions and aspirations. Through interviews with councillors, planners, academics, and third sector and design practitioners living and working in the city, and a selection of case studies, we seek to better understand the relationship between urban design and mental health in Brighton. Relating interview data to the ‘Mind the GAPS’ framework, we conclude the following as vital for mental health promotion through design of public space: safe public and living spaces, enriched social infrastructure, accessible transport options, co-production of design, visual mapping of data and citizen involvement in urban planning