Grace K

 Pauline Oliveros: Deep Listening 

Reflect on your own experiences of listening — to sound, to others, to your environment, or to yourself. How does Oliveros’s idea of deep listening challenge the way you typically give attention? In what ways might listening through your whole body, or approaching sound as a form of play and research, change your understanding of connection, communication, or creativity?

 I recently wanted to lay down for a nap, which I often did in my first year on residence, and found that the car engines and motion sounds of people which I hated so much at the time was all I wished to hear. I think I often find myself too overwhelmed or distracted by sounds to give them enough appreciation. Reflecting on Olivero’s idea, I initially thought of how I constantly listen to music when walking or working alone in public. I constantly try to ignore the ambient sounds around me. Similarly to the NYT article we read on gestures, I think I try to avoid making too much noise or speaking to others because i’m scared of saying the wrong thing and therefore, give more attention to providing the best response instead of simply listening. Furthermore, I spend too much time mentally configuring my thoughts and ideas rather than actively sharing and listening to others’ ideas.

Approaching sound as a form of play and research diminishes the fear I feel to speak and allows me to deeply listen. It removes any pre-determined reaction I may have to a certain sound or interaction and encourages me to experience the soundscape around me. I believe deep listening will strengthen my connections and ability to connect with others around me, because it reframes the way I view interacting with others and my environment which much of my creative inspiration tends to stem from.

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