A Manifesto for New Listening (or 20 thoughts about Listening)

A Manifesto for New Listening (or 20 thought about Listening) is an ongoing work that seeks to question the politics and aesthetics of listening. In particular, it queries five specific aspects of listening as it is formulated within current sound arts practice. The first is the idea that listening is a solitary activity best done alone, removed from society (for better listening) and accompanied by technology (also for better listening). The second is that you have to be taught how to listen ‘properly’ by an ‘expert’. The third is that listening is always a good thing – we should listen and listen well with full attention. The fourth is that listening is an equal playing field unaffected by our individual subjective positions – for example by our gender, our racial identity, our nationality or our class. The fifth is that almost everything needs to be listened to very closely and attentively – except people (see the first).

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