Sound in my life:
I had a very passive relationship with sound for a long time. My boyfriend of seven years (Dom) is a musician and composer who often works with sound. We also live with another musician. As a result music and sound in my life was coming entirely from other people. Music and sound permeated my life, but I stopped picking the music, discovering what I liked and playing what I wanted to listen to. I stopped creating sound for my artworks myself, and I collaborated with Dom asking him to add sound to my installations. Although I love to collaborate with him and am so grateful we are able to do that, a year ago I decided to take more control of the music and sound in my life. I set out to make playlists, record sounds I liked, and take back control over music and sound in my life. It has definitely made me happier.
That being said, this project made me realize that I like to tune out the sound, on my commute, at home, and around me when I walk. I could listen better to the world around me.
Sound in art:
There is almost too much to say about this in a short blog post, but I wanted to share a sound/art piece Dom recently showed me that I love. Alvin Lucier recorded his voice saying "I am sitting in a room". He then played his voice back and recorded it and repeated this process. He continued this process until it is layered so many times that we can hear the frequencies that resonate in the room.
Sound in the curriculum:
I think sound should absolutely be included in the art curriculum. Students can create sound works as their final artworks, they can also create sounds that support and inspire their other works. In Process and Structures we created a soundscape from our commutes throughout the city and drew and painted and created works in response to the sounds we heard. I am very excited to do a lesson like this in the art classroom.
I also think sound would be an interesting medium for students who are less confident in making art and using materials. It could potentially be a bridge into making work in the art room. Since most students will be unfamiliar with sound, they are all starting out as novices and exploring something new together.
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