December Chronicle by Henriks Eliass Zēgners, Asmaa Barakat & Olfa Arfaoui

When your ears trick you
by Asmaa Barakat

Searching for home in every new place I visit, perhaps it is a self-soothing mechanism, to bring my hunched shoulders down. Each time I walk by or in the forest I hear the trees are moved and shaken by the wind. I am convinced that the sound is coming from the sea or the ocean. Waves are the familiar sound to me and where is home there are waves. Couple of days ago I figured out that it is not the sea, the sound is coming from the trees being shaken by the wind.

The short walk to the lake and the sea, I tried also to find home, in the sand, in the color of the sand in the texture of the sand, the line between the land and the sea, in the waves, in the sound of the waves.

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Deep Listening: A Conscious Method for Learning and Practicing
by Olfa Arfaoui

“Deep listening is listening in every possible way to everything possible; this means one hears all sounds, no matter what one is doing, including one’s thoughts as well as musical sounds. Such intense listening includes hearing the sounds of nature’s daily life.”
— Pauline Oliveros

Introduction: The Practice of Deep Listening

Deep Listening, as articulated by Pauline Oliveros, is a life practice that integrates sound, consciousness, and presence. It invites practitioners to engage fully with the world around them, tuning into the subtleties of soundscapes, internal reflections, and collective experiences. This approach bridges the boundaries between music, meditation, and learning, fostering a heightened state of awareness and connection.

In the context of our first COOP session, we explored Deep Listening through an exercise inspired by Oliveros’ Collective Environmental Composition (1975/1996). This practice served as a tool to connect our internal and external environments, building trust within the group while fostering self-exploration and awareness.

The Walking Exercise: Deep Listening in Action

On the second day of the COOP, we engaged in a walking exercise designed to immerse us in the principles of Deep Listening. This walk was intended to:

• Deepen our awareness of the environment and its sounds.
• Foster a state of "flow," enabling immersion in learning and reflection.
• Strengthen connections within the group through shared experiences.

I decided to record this walk, believing it would serve as a valuable resource for later study and practice. Before beginning, I informed my colleagues and tutors walking alongside me of my intention to record for study purposes and obtained their consent.

The walking exercise proved effective in accessing a state of consciousness that allowed me to fully absorb the learning process. This flow state enabled me to engage deeply with both the external soundscape and my internal thoughts, creating a powerful synergy between observation and reflection.

Supplementary Practices: Visual and Active Listening

In addition to sound recording, I incorporated visual recording techniques during classes. By drawing, I was able to foster a mindset conducive to active listening and focus, helping to "freeze the dancing monkeys" in my head. These visual methods complemented the auditory practices of Deep Listening, creating a holistic approach to understanding and learning.

The Collective Environmental Composition (1975)

Oliveros’ Collective Environmental Composition provided a framework for exploring Deep Listening as a communal practice. This exercise was curated by Leon Filter a former DAI student and tutor.

An excerpt from the book: Deep Listening: A Composer's Sound Practice by Pauline Oliveros :
“The following selection of Deep Listening Pieces is taken from a variety of sources, situations and places.

by Pauline Oliveros (1975/1996)
Each participant explores an environment to find a listening place with something interesting to hear and listens for a while.
Each participant invites the other participants to hear their found listening place. There may be one or more places with contrasting sounds.
Each participant finds a way to enhance, nullify or otherwise interact with the sound or sounds that the group goes to hear.
Each participant finds a way to connect all the sounds, either literally, metaphorically or graphically.
A performance agreement is negotiated.”                       

This practice emphasized collaboration, creativity, and heightened awareness, aligning with the foundational principles of Deep Listening.

Reflections and Sound Recording

To document and reflect on this practice, I recorded the soundscape of our walk, capturing its layered auditory dimensions. This recording serves as both a personal archive and a shared resource for our group’s ongoing study. You can listen to the recording on SoundCloud:
Deep Listening Walk Recording.

Questions for Reflection:

• What are you hearing right now?
• How is this soundscape changing?

These questions guide us to remain present and aware, continuously attuning to the subtle shifts in our auditory environment.

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Spacemaking suggestions
by Henriks Zegners

 Following the first session of 2024-2025 COOP study group ~ Curating Positions: Voz de Tierra I proposed an idea to write a set of suggestions regarding “spacemaking” after experiencing some challenges in Confluence 2 in Nida.

Few words of introduction: as a person who has misophonia and hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to sound), a certain level of photophobia (sensitivity to light) and other signs associated with neurodivergence and having had experience of temporary physical disability I’ve been paying a lot of attention to the practice of spacemaking[1], thinking and acting on this subject through the perspectives of inclusivity, spatial design and care.

People carry different sensitivities; facing extensive pressure and workload – as students do within the DAI confluences – can heighten these sensitivities. When a group consists of individuals with diverse abilities, backgrounds, ages, and experiences, it is not only beneficial to acknowledge these differences, but it can also be harmful to overlook them.

This is a list of suggestions for hosting a group of people with the intent of providing the best and most effective study and research experience and overall wellbeing. These are not requests, rather a general set of ideas to evaluate and exercise if necessary.

Learning about the group
Before the group comes together or the first time a group comes together the host ought to ask whether there are any specific things that can make the members of the group feel safe and – in opposite – unsafe; find out what can make them feel well situated and equipped to fully engage in the coop for an ultimate learning and practicing experience; learn about any conditions that might need certain attention and then act accordingly; evaluate the proposed pace of the planned activities.

Accommodating the space
There are few basic aspects to pay attention to in order to facilitate a group spatially and a few easy steps to do so:

• Seating

If possible, it’s good to offer a range of seating for people with different physical abilities and sensory profiles. “Because the senses are connected, moving and the sense of movement, such as rocking, is a common coping mechanism for people with autism, ADHD, and dyspraxia to regulate their senses and anxiety levels.”[2] People usually know what works best for them so it’s a good idea to just let them accommodate themselves and then organize the space accordingly.

• Acoustic environment

Making sure that the space is as noiseless as possible, checking in with the group about the volume of any amplified sounds, making sure that everyone can hear those who are speaking.

• Lighting conditions

Making sure that the light conditions in the room are as good as possible – bright enough for everyone to be able to see yet not overly bright as it can become not only tiring but overstimulating for some. Several sources of dim light spread through the room usually work well.

• Air and temperature

Making sure that rooms are ventilated and of optimal temperature.

In this COOP it is worth to address these aspects as cinema and other audio-visual works play a fundamental role. It could include re-thinking and adjusting the particular rooms where the COOP is taking place.

Timing and planning
Especially if there is a free-form/open-ended element in the plan, addressing the time-schedule upfront and during the group process can be crucial to some people in order to engage.

In addition – having enough pauses in the plan and having them long enough to take care of basic needs is one rule of thumb. Another one is to check in with the group about their ability to perceive and engage in the activities due to their overall level of energy.

Pace
Although a rather complex structural question – which always includes a set of decisions to be made – it is a good idea to check in with everyone’s’ physical and intellectual pace. If it differs so widely that any participant of the group can’t engage it makes sense to address it either individually or with the whole group.

An example of this is organizing a walk. During the walk to the seaside during the confluence in December I had serious back pain and was left as the last one in the group while the others walked way faster until I couldn’t locate the group anymore, with either no one noticing or paying attention, or asking me about it. In my experience – if there is a hike or a walk organized, the hosts should assign a person who is leading the group in the front and a person who is walking as “the last one”, making sure that no-one is left behind.

The same principle metaphorically can be applied to the group regarding the amount of information presented and intellectual stimulus, and all-in-all engagement.

In general, I believe it’s always a good idea to follow the “better safe than sorry” principle – to check in and ask if everyone is okay a few extra times, rather than leaving someone feeling unwell.

                                                                                                             Good luck to us all.

[1] The term “spacemaking” can be used in various ways; in this context I coin this term referencing, among others, research at “Project Zero” of Harvard University; see, for instance, “Making the Space for Learning”: https://pz.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Making%20Space%20for%20Learning%20.pdf

[2] https://hdsunflower.com/au/insights/post/design-accessible-spaces