Music, Noise and Silence 

In a departure from the Museum’s usual approach to the development of exhibition content and narrative, through this research network the Museum will work with a heterogeneous group of HEI researchers and others, using methods derived from action research to scope a new kind of exhibition that coherently synergises recent work relevant to its subject matter. It makes sense to proceed in this way because preliminary research into science, technology and music has vividly confirmed that this is a very rich field indeed, with the potential for many different foci for an exhibition on this broad theme. Drawing on the diversity of relevant recent academic work and musical performances and installations is clearly a powerful way to ensure a fresh approach to museum display and programming. In this way it is intended to produce both a deeply satisfactory visiting experience for the proposed exhibition based on the very best research and, at the same time, to create real impact and knowledge exchange for the disciplines involved.

Audialsense members are Ian Knowles, Jason Flanagan and Paul Bavister.  Audiansense’s work recreates, enhances and reveals acoustic phenomena, turning sound into physical site-specific installations dependant on the architectural qualities of a given space.

Soundcloud of Portland Tunnel, University Park Campus

Speakers included David Hendy (author of ‘Noise: A Human History of Sound and Listening’), Shelley Trower (author of ‘Senses of Vibration: A History of the Pleasure and Pain of Sound’) and Tom Rice (author of ‘Hearing and the Hospital: Sound, Listening, Knowledge and Experience’).