The Sonic Self

UG - Undergraduate

Despite the rise in confessional poetry and contemporary memoir writing over the past 3-4 decades, experimental musicians are still largely encouraged to leave personal details about themselves and their lives out of their work, often in favor of more objective examinations of acoustics and the psychologies of sound and listening. How, then, might we start to think about representing ourselves more explicitly in our work? Furthermore, how do we give an account of ourselves without acquiescing to the dangers of neoliberal individualism? This course aims to use the tools of personal prose alongside practices of sampling, field recording, and other subjective approaches to soundmaking that re-center ourselves and our communities in our work. We will look at noteworthy historical examples in music and writing, and students will workshop their own autobiographical projects throughout the course.