Radio Chthulucene 87.9 FM

I spend a great deal of time listening to music, no matter the circumstance. Making breakfast? My phone sits on the counter while I stir the creamer into the coffee, watching it dissolve into nothing. Walking to class? Headphones are a must, even if that means listening to the same 30 seconds of one particular song over and over. Even writing this sentence? Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions ooze out of my laptop, filling the space between my tapping of the keys and reflection. I think I cling to the melodies as a means of avoiding silence. It’s almost as if silence does not exist for me. If there were no other noise, I would still succumb to the endless screaming in my head. There is never peace.

It’s one thing to write, but it’s another thing entirely to listen. I’ve deeply enjoyed seeing what ideas my classmates have come up with, especially because reading their work is so different from what it will sound like. Although my piece is still unclear, I know I want to experiment with sound. Perhaps incorporating music, or background noise, or sounds of nature. Marco Werman’s use of such sounds was really inspiring to hear, and gave me a bit of an understanding in the direction I could take my own project.

It’s fascinating to grasp this idea, that even silence is deafening. I think that’s what intrigues me most about this project, but I don’t think silence will work for me. I’d love to include the sounds I hear in my everyday life, like how the hot water sounds when I pour it over the coffee grounds in my mug, or how the birds chirp whilst I’m walking (what goes on outside of my headphones?), or even the pattern in which I type. I like the idea that certain sounds contribute to the way I exist, and I think exploring that is worthwhile.