Toward the Sound of Place

Abstract

There is an inherent problem with the conception and construction of contemporary sound-based mappings. These documents are most often presented as two-dimensional graphic representations of space with icons or arrows denoting the site from which each sonic fragment was collected. What these maps fail to capture is the fluid and interconnected nature of sounds-in-space over time – what I prefer to call sounds-through-space. In order for listeners to communicate their experience, and for scholars to analyze compiled data, it is necessary to consider new paradigms in map-making while reexamining the process of mapping itself (Mitchell 2008, Crampton and Krygier 2006, Kitchin 2012). What we understand to be an accurate or “true” representation of physical space as expressed through paper or digitally-presented graphic maps only present the viewer with the information that established practices of cartography deem important. My research explores the practice of aural map-making with an emphasis on defining the relationship among sound, mapping, and mobility. My goal is to create a framework for the development of new forms of aural cartography that incorporate the physical, embodied experience of moving through sound-in-space – not just as a listener, but as a participant directly engaged in the act of listening and exploring. The aim of this article is to demonstrate one alternative cartographic approach to documenting large-scale sounding environments as interconnected wholes of myriad arenas all operating through fluid relationships.