Al's XPUB2 thesis outline

// back to Al's main page

Guidelines

_What do you want to write? (Personal interest, curiosity)
_What mode of address do you want? How do you want your text to speak to the reader?
_What form(at) should your thesis have? (The mode of address dictates the form: essayistic, academic, narrative, non-linear, glossary, script, diary, field report etc.) - or a combination of several of them
_What are your 3 key issues / key research questions? (Each key issue could lead to a chapter outline)
_1500 words

Draft

// very wip pad

About

(Deep Listening) Sound Jams: Method of Producing Collective Sound Based Publication [working title] is an exploration of experiments for collaborative making of sound publications. The thesis will follow the process of testing various combinations of tools, exercies and ideas for facilitation of sound jams. It will document and explain the experiments as well as the research learnings. It will try to systemise the non-linear collection of tools and exercises.

The key issues I am interested in researching, are:
_1 // listen & respond - how deep listening is shaping the collective approach to sound-making?
_2 // what tools are there to collectively make/create sound-based publication?
_3 // what does it make it a publication - how to share/make public the collective sound creation?

issue: I am having troubles to connect making and publishing - what is the bridge between sound-making and sound-publishing in this method/process?

Mode of Address

The tone of address will be informal. I plan to use simple and straightforward language to communicate the process and learning outcomes in a clear way. I will address the reader, a fellow artist, facilitator or educator, as a partner in looking for ways to expand our artistic practice with new mediums, tools and experiences.

Format

The thesis will be a documentation of the process of creating the handbook. As such, it will be a mixture of non-linear report, diary/journal, with glossary and visual translation.

Structure

A draft outline of the structure of the thesis. WIP

Introduction

Introduction to the thesis and the project. In this chapter, I will unpack the meaning behind the key terms I am using for this project. Starting with the title, I will visit the meaning of the words and explain how they connect in this method.
What is the intention and purpose of the thesis, what are the principles of this project as part of my practice. The thesis will be a documentation of the process to create a method and its handbook.
Deep Listening Sound Jams: Method of Producing Collective Sound-Based Publication - exploring tools:
_exploring - trying out different tools to facilitate a collective sound making process based on deep listening - creating different combinations of ways to make collectively
_method - a collection of tools (modular, codified); but is it a method? What makes a method, a method?
_producing/making - collective production and/or making practice exploration
_collective - the importance of collective making; exploring collective publishing practices
_sound-based - focus on sound as a core medium for the publication
_publication - the act of making the sound-based outcome public, to share it - what is the act of publishing, a public moment is not only in the end, the moment when you share something; how does making connect to publishing?
_sound jam - what do I mean by sound jams?

Method

This chapter aims at unpacking why I chose this particular set of tools to create a method. It will explore the theoretical setting of “deep listening” and its previous implementation in sound making and publishing (if there is any). The chapter will create a space for questions like: What is deep listening? How do we listen and respond? How do we respond with sound? How does this affect the collective method of sound-making; how do we publish? I will also explore the reasons why is method relevant and interesting to me. Will try to unpack what kind of method it is - linear, non-linear, systematic, non-systematic? How can it be applied and by whom? Finally, will have a look at the (learning) outcomes that could be expected after applying this method.

Glossary

Some of the terms being used in this research might be unknown to the readers. Others - might have various meanings in different contexts. Thus, in order to put the terminology into context, I will create a glossary with the main terms used in both the thesis, and the handbook. // draft of the glossary

Making

Researching, implementing, and reflecting on tools for collective sound-making.

This chapter will document the research and test of the tools for facilitating collective sound-making and sound-publishing. I will be looking for tools and different ways to host such experiences and to publish them by the participants. Some of the exercises will be tested in a small group, others - in a bigger one. The documentation will follow the preparation, implementation, and reflection phases of the research. Each tool will be described. Then, while being introduced by a group of people, the process of how that happens will be documented. After the experiment is done, learning outcomes will be also extracted and the intention of the activity - revisited.

Publishing

This chapter aims at drawing a connection between the sound-making process to the collective publishing practices. It will explore various tools and ways to publish the sound-based publication. It will also reflect on what part of the method is the publishing. What is the bridge between the making and the publishing?

Bibliography

The references that will be shortlisted in the thesis are the reads and projects that inform the research. They will be divided in categories, such as reads, sound publications and more.

_reads

Oliveros, P., 2005. Deep Listening. New York. Deep Listening Publications. [annotated pad]
adrienne maree brown, 2019. Pleasure Activism. The Politics of Feeling Good. Chico, Edinburgh. AK Press. [annotated pad]
Evens, A., 2005. Sound Ideas: Music, Machines & Experience. U of Minnesota Press [annotated pad]
Kreidler, J., 2013. loadbang. Programming Electronic Music in Pure Data. 2nd edition. Hofheim: Wolke Verlag.
Weiss, A., 2001. Experimental Sound & Radio. The MIT Press.
Groot, M., 2019. The Amateur's Armour. [online] Available at: <https://underbelly.nu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The-Amateurs-Armour.pdf> [Accessed 11 October 2022].

_sound publications

Brown, A. R., 2022. Beneath Maiwar.[online] Available at: <https://www.explodingart.com/arb/2022/06/28/beneath-maiwar/> [Accessed 30 September 2022]. [annotated pad]
Nagy, A., 2018. Hackpact / Sonification Studies. [online] Available at: <https://stc.github.io/HackPact/> [Accessed 30 September 2022]. [annotated pad]