A Row of Trees
The Journal of The Sonic Art Research Unit
Transcript
Jodie: I have 5 questions. The first may be easy or may be difficult. What is ‘vibration’?
Emma: For me, vibration means feeling sensation through my body. Not through my ears. Through my body. Sometimes when there is vibration, I feel it but sometimes, not. Through something like S-T-A-T-I-C
Jodie: Static, yes.
Emma: In the air, I can feel it all around me. It’s amazing. Vibration for me as a Deaf person is very important because alarms, fire alarms, alarms to wake you all use vibration. In everyday life, vibration is all around me. A connection develops so the body recognises vibration. Sometimes I know someone is nearby, behind me, coming closer because I feel the atmosphere change. I look round and there’s someone there.
Jodie: Amazing! Okay, second question. How are vibration and sound different?
Emma: I have hearing aids. With hearing aids, I can hear some sound. But when I use my hearing aids, the feelings of vibration are gone. When I take my hearing aids off, I can feel vibrations more. When my hearing aids are off, sound doesn’t enter my ears, I feel the vibrations.
Jodie: More through the body.
Emma: Yes, with hearing aids, I feel less vibration. I can’t have both at the same time. I can’t.
Jodie: Interesting. Professional musician Evelyn Glennie says ‘hearing is a form of touch’. Interesting! How do you think vibration and touch link?
Emma: Through something like static in the air you can feel – not a hard force, a gentle thing that comes to you – is around you. What it is, I don’t know. Like sometimes, you can hold a balloon. Inflate it, hold it and feel the vibrations from all around you. Is that touch, or not? It’s touch – via a balloon. Hm.. It’s difficult, sometimes you can touch/feel vibration, sometimes you can’t directly, it’s in the air- you feel it around you. Does that make sense?
Jodie: Maybe there’s something visual about vibration. You can see something moving like – you can see vibration in the atmosphere.
Emma: Like water, when there is vibration, water moves. You can see it moving. Ah! You know it means a certain movement, footsteps, or something moving. When there is vibration, water moves in time. That’s not touch, it’s visual.
Jodie: Yes, visual.
Hearing composer Pauline Oliveros says ‘we confuse hearing with listening’2. What do you think about listening and attention?
Emma: I think Deaf people listen more than hearing people. Really, we – when we hear a surprising sound, we ask ‘what’s that?’ We ask eachother ‘what’s that sound?’ We want to know what it is. Because we pay attention. ‘What’s that?’ Also Deaf people listen with their eyes. Looking out, taking it in. We know if people don’t appear engaged, it means they are not listening. Not listening through the ears, listening through the eyes.
Jodie: Listening through the eyes!
Emma: Listening through the eyes, that’s right. So you have a difference between attention and listening. We can listen but not absorb or listen and really absorb it and understand it. There is a difference. But I think Deaf people listen and also absorb more than hearing people. That’s my opinion, maybe others disagree.
Jodie: Is there anything else you’d like to say or discuss about vibration?
Emma: Um – sometimes vibration has a link to emotions.
Jodie: Yes, that’s true.
Emma: I think. We can feel – um – a slow pulsing vibration means ease and relaxation. A fast or loud vibration can make you feel energised. Vibration is connected to emotion, I think. It’s like with babies, they can perceive how their mother is feeling. If their mother is stressed, the baby cries. ‘How did you know?’ It must be through vibration, the way she touches. I don’t know how. There are strong emotions in vibration. I think.
Jodie: Yeah, I agree. Thank you –
Emma: No problem!
Jodie: Interesting discussion!
Emma: Yes, when you first asked me I thought ‘ooh’ this may be a bit difficult because I’m Deaf. Then I realised no, I have a connection. I automatically think because I’m Deaf that being Deaf and music – or vibration – are separate. That’s not the case. They are together. They work together. It’s interesting, made me think.
Notes
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