This course will explore the bridge between music and ecology drawing from the fields of ecological sound art, eco-musicology, acoustic ecology and soundscape ecology. Using primary literature, mixed media and deep listening, we will address the ways that sound functions in the ecological environment, and the ways sound and music can be used to represent ecological and conservation issues. We will consider how the landscape is organized and transformed by sound, how noise pollution and changes in soundscapes are impacting ecosystems, organisms and human health, and how sound art and soundscape composition can enhance understanding of the natural environment and address environmental problems. Students will conduct their own field recordings and create their own compositions, engage in listening and discussion sessions and participate in field trips on local sound environments. For final projects students may choose to focus on creative or ecological science-based work. Prerequisites: a strong interest in music and ecology. Walking in variable terrain and weather may be required.
