As I listened to Samson Young speak about his form of storytelling and identity through his work, I later researched further into his piece ‘Nocturne’. The effect this sound installation held on the audience; creating a pathway of exploring old fallen soldiers from WW1 and a reflective soundscape, influenced me heavily.
The power of storytelling within the sound is a beautiful thing that explores the theory of deeper listening beyond the sound itself and the attached context within the sonic practice you hear. In my opinion, this forms a telling dynamic with the audience beyond the auditory; leaving room for empathy, sympathy and understanding. It gives a platform for the listener to connect further into a sound installation and see glance through the artist’s vision.
In the past, my work, I have touched upon identity and storytelling in sound installation previously. I chose to interview a series of people on portobello road discussing their purity stories and chosen music genre when growing up. Having insight into someone else’s life shapes a piece emotionally differently when not used. Despite this success, I have reflected on Young’s lecture and my previous work and contemplated the idea that I have never included anything about my own identity within my work. As an artist, I have always been driven towards the storytelling of others and lacked any self-reflection. Taking this I have decided to begin including a sense of identity with my future work. This way it will allow listeners to form a bond with me as an artist and hopefully clarify the context better than it did before.