Listening to Cathy Lane’s audio paper Listening and Not Listening to Voice gave me a deep understanding of the ideas of “listening” and “not listening.” Lane uses experimental sound collage to mix voices that appear and disappear, making the listener move between understanding and sensing. Her combination of narration and background sounds, along with distorted and repeated voice fragments, creates tension and encourages active listening rather than just passive hearing.
Lane’s work shows that sound is not only a way to carry information but also a way to shape attention and perception. By using the ideas of “listening” and “not listening,” she shows that breaks, silence, and distortion in sound can be meaningful. In her audio paper, the sound itself becomes part of the argument, not just a tool to explain ideas, allowing the listener to feel the concept in an imperfect listening environment.
From Lane’s work, I also learned some methods and ideas for making an audio paper. For example, the narration does not need to read the text word for word; it can interact with the sound materials, allowing the listener to experience the concepts. Experimental sound techniques, such as layering, distortion, silence, and rhythm changes, can enhance both the listening experience and the expressive power. The overall structure of the piece also needs to be planned in advance, so that the changes in sound form a logical flow and narrative. Lane’s work reminds me that creating an audio paper is not just a technical task, but also a deep reflection on listening, and the relationship between sound and theory.
Leave a Reply