Sonic Cultures: Media, Art, Power

This course offers an introduction to the field of “sound studies.” We will engage with key ideas and texts in the field, thinking closely about our relationships to sound and listening practices, particularly as these intersect with race, class, gender, power and place. How have mp3s and file sharing cultures shaped our listening practices? What is a ‘noise ordinance’? What do we mean by ’noise’ or ’sonic warfare’? How do bass frequencies unsettle and call us into action? And how have contemporary artists worked with sound as a medium? Students will also have the opportunity to create sound works, theoretical writing and presentations. Topics include sound in film, noise and noise ordinances, acoustemology, histories of sound and technology, sound and hostile architecture, elemental frequencies, data, surveillance, the low end, soundscapes, sound art and performance, and the sonic color line.