Familiarity as an Instrument: an Enabled Approach to Sound Arts & Music Proposal

Is familiarity an instrument? 

Familiarity; ‘close acquaintance with or knowledge of something’ or ‘a relaxed friendliness or intimacy between people

How does this become a stepping stone for disabled/neurodiverse artists and their practice? Over time artistic practices have evolved and become methods taught and developed further. When do these practices and methodologies become exclusive to someone with different circumstances? My point of inspiration comes from the disabled qualities of the language and technique of sound arts and music finds itself in. There are many societal models and examples proving exclusivity and inaccessibility within both sound arts and music that vary all across the spectrum. “If disability is indeed a cultural and historical phenomenon (as well as a biological one), then it is appropriate that people whose work is the interpretation of culture and history should attend to it, not only as a matter of justice for people with disabilities, but also for the sake of a richer understanding of the artists and artworks we cherish.” (Straus 2006) This poses a bigger question; in this day and age, how can you work around this with so many different experiences and understandings? Familiarity is a sensation everyone receives in some way, shape, or form. This is a sensation I believe can become a practice, using what’s familiar to communicate and express. For example, in my experience as a neurodiverse person, music theory has never been an approachable method to communicate and create music; my brain does not hold onto this information the same way someone else’s might. From this, I turned to sound art as a solution, though it does not exclude itself from inaccessible methodologies; languages of euro-racks and many other electronic hardware systems contain similar minimalistic qualities that prove themselves as exclusive and somewhat inaccessible. This exclusivity and minimalism create an instant disconnect from the comfort of the instrument; it is an entirely new language to learn. Though these disabled methodologies find themselves prominent in areas of this convention, in my research I have discovered sound arts grant the freedom to develop a personalized sonic language. This language derives from a sense of familiarity; if this sensation becomes a trigger point of invitation, how can you embody that physically and sonically within sound arts? My answer would be to work with what is present, and wonder how to creatively push these everyday sounds objects; this practice, however, is not a new approach to sound arts and music. 

(sonic examples) ~ field recordings

Various artists and organizations globally have devoted their careers to creating accessibility and inclusivity within these parameters. Hackoustic is an artist organization I attended recently in Southwark whose purpose is to aid in the accessibility of experimental instrumentation. Attending one of their workshops, Sam Topley provided a perspective on her D-I-Y instrumentation that is created from mostly at-home objects. In this workshop, we created ‘noise pom-poms’ which provided an acquainted and nostalgic approach to electronic instrumentation. The pom-poms were composed of yarn, conductive thread, a 55 timer, and a small speaker; when held with both hands, the pom-poms would trigger the oscillator and change its’ pitch based on the interactivity with the pom-poms. 

(Sam Topley Interview) 

“Finally, a newer conception about space and music comes up from the environmental artistic approach to music…The integrity of everyday sounds into the musical structure. We can find examples in the field recording practice, the urban music composition, the sound walking experience, and others. Some musicians and artists consider that: “Western music culture has spent five centuries increasingly retreating from the sounds of everyday life – enclosed ‘behind padded walls of the concert hall…” (Levack 2009) Utilizing everyday sounds grants a sense of familiarity that is available to everyone and yet allows creative justice in usage. Genres and practices within music have gradually begun to utilize and develop these accessible methods to create captivating and intelligent work. Ocean of Sound by David Toop describes the genre of ambient sound extensively and how it creates an otherworldly feeling of familiarity. “…ambient music was born, in its present definition at least; music that we hear but don’t hear; sounds that enable us better to hear silence; a sound which rests us from the intense compulsion to focus, to analyze, to categorize, to isolate.” (Toop, 2018) Ambient sound utilizes environmental sounds that create an atmosphere where you can almost see and hear the exact scene set. To me, ambient sound is almost like a painting, it is actively capturing and communicating an environment. 

(sonic examples) ~ ambient music 

From this, the expectation to understand and linger within the rhythmic patterns and potentially harsh technology becomes much less of a demand rather than simply trying to paint a picture in your head with preexisting or synthesized sounds. Background noise is an integral facet of understanding how and why sound can is used as a valuable tool to stimulate the brain. For those with say, autism; the background noise does not separate itself from the foreground, it also demands attention. Being able to utilize background noise and provide other stimulations through things like ambient sound; is the key to creating an “enabled sonic environment”. This development and research within ambient sound prove the impact of possessing enabled parameters for people to express and share their stories. Ambience is an exceptional example of sonic accessibility and inclusivity. 

(leading into themes of sonic storytelling and whose stories are told…)

Nicolás Arnáez. 2015. Minimalism and Sound Art. (n.d.). [online] Available at: http://nicolas-arnaez.com/uploads/3/4/9/4/34942569/arnaez_nicolas_-_7_minimalism_and_sound_art.pdf [Accessed 23 Nov. 2022].

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Straus, J. (2006). Normalizing the Abnormal: Disability in Music and Music Theory Normalizing the Abnormal: Disability in Music and Music Theory. [online] Available at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1459&context=gc_pubs [Accessed 23 Nov. 2022].

UCL (2021). Disabilities and Neurodivergencies. [online] UCL Anthropology. Available at: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/anthropology/equality-diversity-inclusion/disabilities-and-neurodivergencies [Accessed 23 Nov. 2022].

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Toop, D. (2001). Ocean of sound: aether talk, ambient sound, and imaginary worlds. London: Serpent’s Tail.

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Mice, L. (2019). ‘We need to put inclusion at the start of the process: the disabled musicians making their own instruments. [online] The Guardian. 19 Jul. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2019/jul/10/we-need-to-put-inclusion-at-the-start-of-the-process-the-disabled-musicians-making-their-own-instruments.

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