Acoustic Phenomenology: The Hidden Sounds of Austin

Monday, November 1, noon to 3pm (PAR 102)


Bill Fontana, known for his pioneering work with sound, will conduct a three-hour workshop, in conjunction with his commission for Butler Sound Gallery at the Blanton Museum of Art. Organized by UT’s Bureau for Experimental Ethnography, the workshop will demonstrate to students and researchers the art of listening by recording hidden acoustic phenomena in the natural environment as well as the conductive resonance of structural elements.  

Fontana will teach participants how to detect and record the complex sound patterns in the world around us. Sound will be explored and recorded using hybrid listening technologies, including accelerometers, hydrophones, and microphones. Participants will listen in the field, through a multiple headphone amp to the in-progress recordings, returning to the lab to listen and discuss the recordings and their potential relevance outside of the original context.  

Participants should bring their own headphones.