Sonic Alchemy: An Introduction to Pauline Oliveros' Deep Listening Practice

Join us at in the gardens of the PBF for a workshop and meditative session on Deep Listening taken from Pauline Oliveros's Sonic Mediation. Oliveros is a musician, composer, author, teacher, sonic alchemist, and a central figure in the development of experimental and electronic music. Her music theories and concepts of "deep listening" and "sonic awareness" enmesh cybernetics and metaphors of sound creating a new attunement to resonance. 

During the workshop artist-in-residence Rian Crane will share and reflect on Oliveros’ personal histories such as her existence as an out lesbian who was born in Houston, Texas to a Tejano lineage. We will discuss how this impacted her approach to sound, along with her mother’s choice to have her learn the accordion, an instrument common to Tejano music at the time she was born. Crane will work with participants to recreate the compositional and reflective nature of Oliveros’ work.

No musical background or “skills” are required, participants just need to bring their voice, and an openness to sonic expansiveness and collective practice!

This event is hosted in partnership with our friends at the R.I.S.E. LGBTQ+ Center! We are grateful to the Marion Park Lewis Foundation for the Arts for supporting our workshops this season!