In this commentary I explore ways of listening to the ordinary sounds of the everyday environment. I also consider their sound/image synergy as an implication for the choice of artistic material used in audio-visual composition. The focus is on these two questions: 1. How can ordinary quotidian sounds be used for audio-visual narrative? 2. In relation to question one, how should we practice our listening and perception of our surroundings to benefit creatively from everyday sounds? I investigate my personal relationship with the everyday environment, gathering material for audio-visual composition. Drawing from a context of research in concrete sound initiated by the Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM) Paris since the late 1940s, which served as a foundation for research in sound awareness brought forward by the World Soundscape Project, my research considers the different modes of listening to everyday sound and proposes the original concept of inclusive listening. Inclusive listening is a state of awareness that moves us to consider audio-visual object in its entirety while selecting composition material. Although the term ‘inclusive’ denotes a consideration of the visual during the listening, because of my musical upbringing and background, the inclusiveness comes from a sonic point of view and an emphasis in this terminology is naturally centred on ‘listening’. This concept implies selecting objects for both their visual and sonic connotations. Regarding the sonic, inclusive listening includes the sound that an object generates at the moment of selection as well as the ones it could produce. In soundscape composition, the creative process starts with sound awareness. The attention we give to the environment can determine what material we use in our creative work. With inclusive listening, both the visual and the object's sonic properties determine our choices. Using inclusive listening I choose and collect audio-visual material, asking myself how I can use these objects in their sonic/visual entirety for the creation of a narrative. This has led to the creation of ten audio-visual works that include fixed media, live performances, and installations, which range in length from 33’’ (Daily Sounds Are Like Living Creatures) to 21’35’’ (I Speak The City). These compositions, are situated in an original genre I have called audio-visual sound fiction. In this denomination, ‘audio’ and ‘sound’ have the same meaning but a different connotation. ‘Audio’ as in audio-visual refers to the whole self-standing object characterised by its visual and sonic properties. ‘Sound’ is the channel for which these properties are searched and gathered as artistic material. With these materials, I work towards the creation of a narrative. It is essential to acknowledge that inclusive listening is implemented within a context of audio-visual content of the portfolio; and that this concept possesses a broader applicability beyond the field of audio-visual composition
| Date of Award | 8 May 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Geoff Cox (Main Supervisor) & Monty Adkins (Co-Supervisor) |
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