Al's XPUB2 thesis

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Drafting [wip pads]

▶ Very WIP pad
▶ chapter 1 // introduction
▶ chapter 2 // glossary
▶ chapter 3 // method

Introduction

[drafting] elements of the chapter:
_about the project + unpacking the title
_research questions and subquestions
_principles of the research + in relation to my practice

_about the project
Sound Jams: Method of Producing Collective Sound-Based Publications (working title) is a handbook presenting a method to produce and publish collective sound-based publications. The hands-on guide explores an applied approach to deep listening sound jams by inviting the contributors to participate in a collective sound-making and publishing process. What does this all mean?

_sound jams
By sound jam, I understand any facilitated process of sound-making and publishing that includes more than one person. Its core principle is inclusivity: it is open to people with or without musical training. It offers different instruments that do not require previous learning. The sound jam’s main goal is to create a safe space for makers coming from various backgrounds to open up to a moment of collective sound-making and sharing.

_method
This project aims at finding a process of approaching the goal: to collectively make and publish sound publications. It presents a collection of ways to facilitate a sound jam and gives an explanation for each one of them. It also gives access to tools and instruments for sound-making that is inclusive for people without musical training.

The sound jams shouldn’t be about the instruments and they do not matter for their implementation. It is about the process: the invitation of steps to follow and the use of any object as an instrument. However, in the examples there will be particular instruments used when a sound jam is tested with a group of people. Nevertheless, they are not important for the instructions and the method itself.

_producing collectively
This research has a focus on collective making. The project aims at bringing ways to create a sound publication with a group of people. It explores ways of facilitating a process of creating space and time for people to make it as a collective. It is intended also to bring new methods and tools into collective publishing practices.

_sound-based
Sound is my choice for the core medium of this project because even though we are surrounded by it on a daily basis, it still feels quite inaccessible for many educators, facilitators, artists and artivists. Often associated with music, it is a reserved territory for people with musical training and for sound artists. In reality, it is far more accessible and there are many ways sound-making can be open for participants from any kind of background. Thus, this handbook aims at bringing another medium (or opening more possibilities for exploration of it) to artists, educators, publishers and collectives.

_publications
This research explores the act of making things public. It asks questions about when does this act take place and what makes a creation public? When is the collective ready to share it with others? What is the role of the facilitator in the process of publishing and how does it work for the contributors?

_thesis
This thesis explores and analyses a series of sound jam experiments I am implementing over the course of 9 months. In order to prepare for the sound jams, I collected and developed various ideas for collective sound-making moments. Those experiments are being documented in audio, text and visual form. Afterwards, I am analysing the process, the final result and the reflections of the contributors, who are interviewed after the sound jams. The documentation and analysis of the sound jams are part of this read. [what exactly will the documentation here include - will be clear a in 1-2 months]

Glossary

▶ Very WIP pad

[about] There are many terms in this research that have different meanings in other contexts. It is also possible that you might have not come across some of them. By creating this space, I aim to bring the words I am using into a particular context and explain how I understand (and therefore, use) them.

I believe in clear communication. Even though it is something “easier said than done”, it definitely worth the effort. Trying to be clear when communicating whatever you want to express, can save us from many misunderstandings and misinterpretations. It is quite often when we see something differently from someone else, even when we are convinced that our point of view is somewhat universal.

This effort of bringing our context into the conversation also saves us from being presumptuous. We are much more generous to our reader if we don’t assume what they already know and what they don’t. Thus, explaining the key terms I am using in this research helps keep clear and honest communication.

In this chapter, you will find terms and their definitions that might look copy-pasted from a proper dictionary. However, that is not the case here and this glossary is not universal. It is a collection of terms brought into context by me in relation to my artistic and research practice. Of course, most of their description comes from real definitions and usage in more universal contexts. Nonetheless, bear in mind that my personal touch is also part of them.

core terms for the project

[sound jam] In the context of this project, by sound jams, I understand any facilitated process of sound-making and publishing that includes more than one person. They are not restricted by form, time, place or environment. Thus, some of the sound jams are literally facilitated jam sessions with musical and sound instruments, whereas others are open calls on the internet for submitting contributions, or several months-long sound residencies.

[sound or sonic publication] Sound/sonic publication or sound-based publication is a term that is commonly used in this paper. By it, I understand an audio piece that is shared with the public. There are two core elements in this term: sound or sonic, as being an audio piece (but not limited to) and publication, as a piece that is shared publicly, that is being published. Thus, being a wider term, it may vary - from musical pieces to podcasts or audiozines - anything whose core medium is sound (music, noise, voice, ambient sounds etc.).

[listen and respond] The basis of the approach to sound jams is to listen and respond with sound. By this, I mean giving the contributors the time to listen to others' sounds before jumping into the sound jam. Inspired by the work of Pauline Oliveros, this approach gives space for awareness and mindfulness in the collective making. To listen and respond in this research means that the contributors are invited to take the time to perceive the soundscape around them before adding their own sound to it.

[score] In music, a score is a musical composition in written or printed notation. It is basically the written form of the piece which highlights rhythms, frequency, pitch, and instrumental notes in the song. The scores of the sound jams in this project are also a visual representation of the piece. However, they might have the form of text, sketch, illustration or a mix of all.

additional terms for the project // appendix

Method

Making

Publishing

Bibliography