Exercises in listening to the inaudible: About Cona institute’s programme and the Acoustic Commons network

Abstract

The activities of the Acoustic Commons network for live environmental streams draw attention to the unique sounds of particular places and explore the acoustic ecology of bio-anthropo-genic locations. The network connects sound ecologists, live streamers, sound artists and experimental musicians who reflect in various ways upon the role of sonic explorations in promoting biocentric thinking that rejects the primacy of human rights and needs over those of other living and nonliving beings such as birds, spiders, trees or stones. Attentive listening goes beyond the notion that music is purely a human activity and opens the ears to sonic structures that may inform human culture in becoming more inclusive of nonhuman entities. Indeed, acoustic sensitivity is one piece of the puzzle in raising awareness and helping prevent numerous sound-sensitive creatures from declining into extinction.