The Mediumship of Listening: Notes on Sound in the Silent Arts

This article is a series of excerpts from the author’s most recent book Sinister Resonance. It begins with the premise that sound is a haunting, a ghost, a presence whose location in space is ambiguous and whose existence in time is transitory. The intangibility of sound is uncanny – a phenomenal presence both in the head, at its point of source and all around, and never entirely distinct from auditory hallucinations. The close listener is like a medium who draws out substance from that which is not entirely there. The history of listening must be constructed from narratives of myth and fiction, silent arts such as painting, the resonance of architecture, auditory artefacts and nature. In such contexts, sound often functions as a metaphor for mystical revelation, instability, forbidden desires, disorder, formlessness, the unknown, unconscious and extra-human, a representation of immaterial worlds. Threaded through is Marcel Duchamp’s curious observation – ‘One can look at seeing but one can’t hear hearing’ – and his concept of the infra-thin, those human experiences so fugitive that they exist only in the imaginative absences of perception

The role of trait self-compassion as a moderator of the relationship between subjective memory impairment and psychological distress in older adults

Introduction: Subjective memory impairment (SMI) refers to the perception of memory difficulties in the absence of objective memory impairment. SMI is a relatively common phenomenon in later life, affecting 43-77% of people over the age 65 years (Larrabee & Crook, 1994). Experience of SMI is associated with psychological distress, e.g., SMI is predictive of symptoms of depression and anxiety (Hurt, Burns, & Barrowclaugh, 2011). Previous research has suggested that self-compassion is positively associated with aspects of well-being in older adults (Phillips & Ferguson, 2012) and has been found to moderate the relationship between subjective physical health and subjective well-being (Allen, Goldwasser & Leary, 2012). Objective: The aim of the study was to extend the research of Allen, Goldwasser and Leary (2012) and investigate whether self-compassion moderates the relationship between subjective memory impairment and memory-related psychological distress in older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational design was used to examine relationships between SMI, psychological distress and trait self-compassion, while controlling for depression and anxiety. A sample of 71 adults over the age of 60 years completed a series of questionnaires to measure the constructs of interest. The Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination – 3 (Hsieh, Shubert, Hoon, Mioshi, & Hodges, 2013) was used to verify that cognitive functioning was in a normal range for the participant’s age. Results: Self-reported psychological distress was significantly positively associated with SMI (r = .51, n = 69, p <.01). The hypothesis that trait self-compassion moderates the relationship between SMI and psychological distress was unsupported (b = .01, t(63) = .51, p = .61). A second, exploratory model, was found to be the best fit for the data, explaining 49% of the variance in memory-related psychological distress. The main effect of Self-Judgement (a subscale of the Self-Compassion Scale) made a significant contribution to explained variance (b = -2.50, t(63) = -3.07 p = .003), however the interaction between Self-Judgement and SMI was non-significant. Conclusion: Self-compassion (specifically self-judgement), does partially explain memory-related distress, even when general levels of anxiety and depression are controlled for. It is not possible to unequivocally say that there is no moderation effect due to the limitations of the sample size, however any effect (if one does exist) is likely to be small and require a very large sample size to detect

Brian Ferneyhough in Interview

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Prostitution: An Independent Business or a Societal Downfall?

This thesis breaks down the subject of prostitution to be examined by four smaller categories: the history of prostitution, the pros and cons of current legislation surrounding prostitution, the effects of the media’s portrayal on society, and a comparison of abortion as a similar issue. While society may have a current notion of prostitution, this thesis would like to examine the idea of prostitution as an independently run business under government regulation in hopes of recognizing the positive effects it would have upon sex workers. Through the use of surveys distributed to a number of students at a small liberal arts college, I was able to gain insight as to how prostitution is acknowledged by young adults, aging from eighteen to twenty three years old. The survey also asked students to identify their feelings on businesses run by women, as well as a woman’s right to her body as determine in Roe V. Wade. By comparing the results of questions asked on prostitution to questions asked on similar subjects, I am hoping to identify whether society is ready to have prostitution regulated under the government, as well as whether or not society believes organized prostitution has a shot at becoming a safe, independent business

Gruesome Playground Injuries

For my fall term 2011 and winter term 2011 senior theater project I would like prepare and perform in the show “Gruesome Playground Injuries” by Rajiv Joseph. It is a two person cast that shows an emotional rollercoaster endured by a man and a woman from elementary school until their early thirties. There is obviously feelings shared for one another, but they are so trapped in their own darkness that they cannot be all that the other person needs. The injuries they endure throughout the years are out of chronological order, which is a unique styling to a play that is more effective than watching it in sequence. Upon reading this play I realized it would be a perfect senior project because of the emotional depth Kayleen, the female character, offers. There are emotional struggles and choices that I have not had the opportunity to prepare for yet, and would be a great stepping stone into preparing me to deal with future emotionally disturbed roles. The show itself will be with an extremely small ensemble, with a fellow student working as director and a male actor to play Doug. The show will aim to go on in the second half of winter term

Messiaen’s Saint François

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Stockhausen’s Klavierstück VIII

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Review of The Music of Stockhausen by Jonathan Harvey

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On Writing About Stockhausen

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Travelling Hopefully: Recollections of a Festival-Crawl (Autumn 1986)

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