Soundscape as Musical Narrative of Self and Place

• In Event: Roundtable Session 81
  In Roundtable Session: Multimodal Narratives in Arts Education Research: Digital Stories, Playwriting, and Soundscapes

Abstract

This paper examines the experience of children and adults engaging in Soundscape creation as a tool to interrogate attitudes and beliefs of self in relationship to the cultural landscape. The Soundscapes emerged from the collective, dialogic process of negotiation to make meaning which Bakhtin, Soler and Mezirow have found results in powerful learning. These metaphoric, sonic narratives illustrated social imperatives of deep listening, mutual respect and empathy. Educational implications include: an indication of the relevance of including flexible and multiple ways of expressing learning; skill development using musical elements; the power of music and sound as communicative ‘text’; and the joy in which embodied learning experiences in and through the arts are embraced by learners across ages and contexts.

Author

• Joi Freed-Garrod, Thompson Rivers University