Normal Noise without Ears. And Marshmallows.

I was recently approached to run a workshop and develop a performance for this year’s Edge of Wrong festival (a cross-continental festival of exploratory arts and music).

As result I’ve been running a running a series of exploration sessions with four deaf students from Cape Town’s Dominican school for the deaf (Wittebome). And it will all culminate with a performance called Normal Noise this Saturday evening as part of this weekend’s festival events.

essential listening technique: listening with your toes

So what have we been doing in the sessions? Basically we’re exploring sensation using everyday objects. With sound as our focus.

But what is sound to someone who does not have fully functioning ears? Not a simple question to answer even relative to people who use their ears for listening.

So through a series of experiments we’re exploring the tactile, emotional, physical and conceptual nature of sound. Even delving a little into consciousness: If I hear this, what do you hear? Or sense?

As I’ve gotten deeper into the process I’ve realised that sound as a phenomenon is not that easily categorised. It’s vibration right? Sure. But it’s a lot more than that.

For those with fully functioning ears try this: eat a potato crisp. Now eat a crisp and imagine you have no sense of sound. If you manage to do this (not easy) what would the primary senses be?

Now eat a marshmallow.

visual sound: rice oscillating on a blade

As these experiences have been unfolding a performance has slowly started to emerge.  Consisting of a series of actions which recognise sound as an normal phenomenon with extra-ordinary properties.

So please join us on Saturday as we present our research as a silent, and not very silent performance. Listening is not always Hearing!

When:  Saturday 2 March 2013 at 8pm

Where:  The Intimate Theatre, 37 Orange Street, UCT Hiddingh Campus, Cape Town

More info about the festival and other acts on the same night

Many thanks to the Edge of Wrong, their sponsors and the Dominican School at Wittebome for making this possible!