2011 Summer Session I: M, T, R 3:00-5:00 p.m.
In this service learning class,
we will use audio production to document and evaluate coming changes to the
Southern Indiana soundscape. Breaking
into small teams, students will interview rural residents and record human and
natural sounds in the pathway of the controversial new Interstate 69 extension.
Though there will be readings, we will mostly learn through doing—practicing
ethnographic and audio production methods while serving the community. The
stories and soundscapes we record will be edited for an audio documentary
broadcast on community radio station WFHB. We will also archive and share our
recordings, photos, and fieldnotes through Traditional Arts Indiana.
What is a soundscape? Over the past decade an increasing number of artists,
musicians, and scholars have turned an ear to the sonic dimension of everyday
life and lived space. Focusing on the
“soundscape” means paying close attention to the natural, mechanical, and
mediated sounds that help shape our lives. It also means critically
examining—and even intervening in—human activities that alter the aural world. The
sounds of I-69 will radically alter the soundscape and aural experience of local
people. As scholars, we will theorize the nature of these changes. As community
activists, we will draw attention to the soundscape as a threatened aspect of
the environment.
What will we be doing in
class? We
will read materials on three topics: 1) soundscapes and human experience of
sound, 2) ethnographic research methods, and 3) audio production techniques. Skills learned in class will include audio recording,
sound editing, and ethnographic interviews, transcription, and analysis.
Visiting lecturers will include local activists, folklorists, and audio
producers. Students will spend much of their time “in the field,” doing
interviews, taking photos, and making field recordings. You will compile an
ethnographic portfolio, archive your data, and write a five-to-seven page paper
discussing your work.
Is this class for me? Students with interests in sound, ethnography, media
production, journalism, and/or environmental issues will particularly enjoy
this class. It is recommended (but not required) to have prior experience in at
least one of two areas: ethnography (C122 or a class in
folklore, cultural anthropology, or ethnomusicology) or production (audio, video, or journalism).
