Learning by Ear is an evening of sound and discussions around sound. The guests of the evening have different, often entangled, roles related to sound: as sound practitioners, pedagogues and sound students. During the evening they will present their reflections, their practices, and their art.What does it mean to learn, make, and teach sound practices in the context of new media technology, where often the instruments and the practices are invented, learnt, and even taught in the same process.
17:00 -18:45 Presentations and discussions
19:00 – 21:00 Concert
Welcome to join zoom discussion before and after the event IN THIS LINK!
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Antti Ikonen: Designing Sounds for a Children’s Hospital
In this talk, I will introduce an actual large-scale interior sound design project in order to delineate the characteristics of sound as an element, material, and subject of discussion in a bigger planning context. The Helsinki New Children’s Hospital was completed and taken into use in 2018. Aside from patient rooms and facilities for medical operations, large areas of this hospital are being equipped with loudspeakers. The loudspeakers are used to play a generative ambient soundscape specially designed and tailored for the hospital.
Contemplative listening is the most crucial skill and fundamental method when designing sounds for specific environments. It is essential to know the ingredients and understand the behaviour of the soundscape in question, and especially when using generative methods in (re)constructing or (re)creating a soundscape this cannot be fully achieved without listening for an extended period of time. Furthermore, soundscapes and aural interiors can be listened to in a reduced way as they were ambient music.
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Alejandro Olarte: Did I just make an experimental sound performance? – Serendipity between the lab and the stage.
In this presentation, I will explore different aspects of the experimental attitude lived as a sound artist, researcher, and pedagogue. Where does the artwork live? in the experimentation? in the planning? in the afterthoughts? Did I just create an instrument, a performance, a composition, an experiment, a patch, a sample? Where and how is the audience involved? Can this be taught at all? Why do we still ask those old questions?
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Marloes van Son: Objects of expectation – The layers of a sound-device
During this talk I will unpack some layers of my sound-device building and performance practice: How does the visual design of a sound-object influence our interaction with it? How to facilitate intuitive ways to interact with different interfaces? What expectations do certain designs create and how to transform these expectations into curiosity?
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More thoughts and sonic contributions:
Hannu Ikola (SiBa)
Natalie Monica Roe (SiBa)
M Wingren (Aalto)
Philippe La Grassa (Aalto)
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Antti Ikonen (MA) works in Aalto University as lecturer of sound design and music, the head of Sound in New Media Master’s studies and a member of Sound and Physical Interaction research group. Ikonen’s work covers music and sound design for a wide range of different kinds of media, performances and works of art, including contemporary dance, theatre, short films, radio plays, art installations, and new media. His current research relates to Helsinki New Children’s Hospital soundscape which was designed and realised by Ikonen and his students. In 2019, the soundscape project was awarded with Grand Prix in International Sound Awards in Hamburg, Germany.
Alejandro Olarte: I am an electroacoustic musician devoted to pedagogy, artistic research, live performance, and digital lutherie. I am a lecturer in Electroacoustic Music at the Sibelius Academy, Center for Music and Technology of the Helsinki Arts University. I am a Doctor of Music graduated under the supervision of Andrew Bentley with a project called “Elements of electroacoustic music improvisation and performance” available here. I studied classical guitar and electroacoustic music in Colombia with Ramiro Isaza, Roberto Garcia, and Horacio Lapidus between 1995 and 2001. In 2009 I graduated from Generative Improvisation and Musical Acoustics at the National Conservatory of Paris under the guidance of composer Alain Savouret and engineer Charles Besnaionou. In 2010 I completed studies at Paris University in Computer Music with Horacio Vaggione and Anne Sedes. My interests are electronic experimental music, sound art, computer music, performance art, experimentalism, and cross-disciplinary collaborations. I love supercollider and modular synths, and my biggest passion is to teach and learn.
Marloes van Son builds sound objects and digital synths. She uses these in combination with graphic scores, layered vocals, occasional beats and field recordings in experimental compositions. Using her self built instruments she creates atmospheric soundscapes with a pop twist. She performs both under her own name and collaborates with Alex van Giersbergen in their audiovisual project ALOES. http://marloesvanson.nl/
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Ääneen – Sonic Arts Month in February 2021 is realised in collaboration between MUU ry, Äänen Lumo, and several actors in the local field of sonic arts. The programme has been formed through an open call for co-curation and the events are supported by Niilo Helanderin säätiö and the City of Helsinki. Due to the recent development of the pandemic, the festival collaborates also with Station of Commons, a collaborative initiative on digital commoning practices.
Why is it often difficult to imagine alternatives in our culture?
You can read more at: https://stationofcommons.org/events/expanding-the-frame-re-appropriating-the-video-object
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STREAMING
– In order to watch the stream we recommend downloading the VLC media player (the best free and open source multi-platform media player there is). https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html
– Once installed click: File -> Open network, and copy paste one of the following links: https://streamer.nettitila.fi:8443/video1 or http://streamer.nettitila.fi:8000/video1. Wait for a short moment and you should see the video window open.
– More instructions are available: https://www.vlchelp.com/stream-online-videos-pc-vlc-media-player/
– Or you can go to the Station of Commons website: http://www.stationofcommons.org/peers/aanen-lumo and follow the instructions.
Enjoy!
More info about ÄÄNEEN – Sonic Arts Month: