Embodied Sonic Design: Sound and the Sensory Apprehension of Movement

Abstract

Sound acts as an extension of the body, created by movement and received as vibration. I am focused on the removal of a visual representation of the body as a template; to instead facilitate an embodied experience. As an embodied practitioner, I create immersive sound and media installations derived from recordings of my own moving body. The movement of sound depicts the presence of a body in motion through sensory illusion. Through embodied sonic design, my sound recordings decontextualize, abstract, and reframe the auditory experience. I physically manipulate the recording of sound to perceptually rematerialize the moving physical form during playback with two techniques: sound shadows and embodied binaural spatialization. These techniques encourage the listener to perceive sound and space with the same awareness that situates their body, such as sensation and proprioception. The perceived physical interaction within the reception of this sound is akin to a kinesthetic projection and is an engagement in spatial thinking, activating mirror neurons and kinesthetic empathy. Creating awareness through physical attunement can regulate systems out of balance by offering the embodiment of alternative states: shifting how one thinks and feels in a particular setting. My research seeks to recognize the listener’s unique perspective through their individual body.