Sound Studies

3 Credits.

What can sound and listening reveal about personal, political, and cultural power? “The soundscape is no accidental byproduct of society," cautions R. Murray Schafer “rather it is a deliberate construction by its creators.” Beginning with Schafer’s influential text The Tuning of the World, this course will introduce multiple approaches to sound studies. Research methodologies range from soundwalking and soundscape composition to the historical recovery of lost soundscapes embedded in literature, the law, and earwitness testimonies.Topics include acoustic ecology, the history of recorded media, field recording, and modes of listening. Along with readings and seminar discussion, course activities include writing assignments, listening sessions, class presentations, soundwalks, and sound recording projects.