Sonic Spaces |Sounds of the Environment

Wednesday, 10 February 2021, 7 – 8pm A panel discussion as part of the ‘Sonic Spaces’ series. From the soothing sounds of lapping waves and bird song, to the uncomfortable disruption of construction work and traffic, our daily lives are subject to a wide range of natural and man-made environmental sounds. The impact of such sounds on human well-being has led to a range of interventions in recent years. These include an EU directive to examine public noise exposure through the creation of noise maps, and artistic initiatives to introduce professional live music into hospital settings to improve patients’ experience. This event will bring together a multi-disciplinary panel to discuss a range of works that emerge from, or aim to benefit, our experience of listening in natural, urban and social environments: Laurence Gill, Professor in Environmental Engineering at Trinity, and composer Norah Walsh who will discuss their collaboration on ‘Inception Horizon,’ which used an understanding of the movement of water through limestone as the basis of a choral piece inspired by a karst cave system in County Clare; Antonella Radicchi, an architect and scholar based at TU Berlin, and Simon Jennings, Executive Scientist in the Environment Section of Limerick County Council, who will introduce the ‘Hush City’ app which empowers people to identify and assess quiet areas in cities including Limerick; and Gráinne Hope, an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at Trinity’s Global Brain Health Institute, who will discuss her work as founder and artistic director of ‘Kids’ Classics’, Ireland’s leading music in healthcare organization. The panel will be chaired by Jimmy Eadie, an artist-engineer based in Trinity’s Electronic & Electrical Engineering programme, who works within the field of recording, production and sound design. ‘Sonic Spaces’ is organised by Jennifer O’Meara, Department of Film, as part of the Creative Arts Practice Research theme. The series considers the creative possibilities of audio and sound culture as they relate to issues of society, technology, the environment and the body. It aims to encourage the academic and broader community to reflect on our relationship to listening and its significance. ‘Sonic Spaces’ is supported by the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute. Learn more at: https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/