Crystalised Sonic Views through Direct Proxy Observation: Reinterpreting the Sounds of Sectarianism in Belfast.

The presentation takes one case study drawn from a sonic ethnography involving a diverse range of people spanning the globe that unveils sounds as dependable permanent fixtures of their sensory trajectories, which I refer to as ‘Sound Tenses.’ The specific example explores the urban environment of Belfast through a sonic lens of urban sectarian tensions. It is based on a lengthy interview undertaken by ‘Sam’ who grew up amongst the complex sectarian violence of the ‘troubles’ and its associated marching band procession culture. Following the interview, as an additional methodological strain, I would ordinarily have accompanied Sam through the sonic terrain that he described. Sam unfortunately died unexpectedly before we were able to do this. This contingency consequently generated a new methodology called ‘Direct Proxy Observation’ (‘DPO’) which acted to foster a crystalised sonic view of the spaces that Sam had described. Equipped with only his descriptions, I explored Belfast’s peace walls and politically charged murals and sonically viewed them as physical repositories that absorb, retain, and even trigger the soundwaves of sectarian tensions. My presentation will discuss how I subsequently developed DPO’s potential across further diverse sensory and geographical environments.
Keywords: Sound, tension, sonic, permanence, sectarianism.

Francesca Corradini (Università Milano-Bicocca, Trento, Italy)

A Sonic Ethnography. A Sound Journey in Val di Rabbi Stelvio-Trentino National Park.

This proposal presents my sound ethnographic thesis research on the soundscape of Val di Rabbi in the Stelvio-Trentino National Park. This ethnography combines participant observation, field notes, semi-structured interviews, black-and-white photography, automated sound recordings with AudioMoth, and field sound recordings. In this study, sound serves as both the primary methodology and subject of investigation. My approach is inspired by the sensory ethnographic methods of anthropologists Steven Feld, Tim Ingold, and Sarah Pink, incorporating both ecoacoustic and anthropological perspectives on sound. I view sound as a medium to connect with non-human species beyond human language. Although sound is crucial in the park's ecosystem, it is often overlooked in outreach and environmental education activities, which predominantly rely on visual methods. I my thesis I have explored the potential integration of sound into the park’s research programs, particularly for monitoring purposes, and its inclusion in environmental education through sound walks and sound mapping. Both methods offer significant advantages, enabling more accurate monitoring, systematic mapping of biocultural diversity, and improving human engagement with the park. By incorporating automated sound monitoring and listening initiatives, these approaches can enhance the preservation of biodiversity and communication systems in the park. Keywords: soundscape-anthropogy of sound-ethnography-fieldrecording-ecoacoustics

María Consuelo Robledo Dávila (Centro de Investigación en Artes y Humanidad, Universidad Mayor, Chile)
From Sound Methods to Sound Products: Sound Immersive Capsules of Two Markets in Santiago Chile.

This paper offers the results of a sensory design exercise. It addresses the question of how the knowledge gained through a sound ethnography can be made audible (Feld, Panopoulos and Scaldaferri 2020; Petit y Benitez 2023). It results from the collaboration of an anthropologist, a sound designer and a musicologist who have immersed themselves in the sound cultures of two traditional markets in the city of Santiago (Chile): the Vega Central, one of the biggest farmer’s market in the city, and a flea market in Franklin neighborhood. By applying a variety of sound methods such as soundalks, soundscaping, aural-postcards, sensory walks, listening workshops, sound journals combined with other traditional ethnographic methods (participative audition, interviews) we have addressed methodological problems such as: how a sensory community is formed through the practice of a particular occupation, what are the contrasts between the aural experience of the researcher and the native inhabitants of a given territory, how can we access the aural experience of a given community, and how can ‘dialogic edition’ sonically convey the researchers’ embodied experiences and the native’s aural knowledge. Two immersive sound capsules and a detailed explanation of the process to create them are offered as a preliminary response.
Keywords: Sensory studies, auralities, sound methods, dialogic edition, markets.