Affective Soundscape Composition for Evoking Sonic Immersion

In 2012, I came to a realization in Barry Truax’s graduate course, Acoustic Dimensions of Communication, that there might be a potential to use concepts from the acoustic communication model and research from the acoustic ecology community to shift paradigms in healthcare research. What started as an idea written in a moleskin notebook has now led to a body of work that transfers knowledge from the soundscape community to health sciences. Although this research is in its nascent stage, the use of media, specifically audio recordings, pervades several well-known approaches to pain management and anxiety. However, there remains consideration of the potentiality of using deep listening techniques, specifically recordings of mediated spaces as a tool for analgesic purposes. Mediated spaces can be conceived of as exploratory spaces that use the principles of soundwalks and soundscapes to create an experience for the patient that simulates an environment through the means of audio playback of binaural recordings. In this research, careful attention was placed towards creating specific soundwalks that produce a distinct auditory quality, which helps bring the attention of the patient to focus on three intertwined levels: a micro-narrated experience – heightening a visceral sensation as they engage with the sounds, the structure of the soundscape composed using binaural recording, and the sounds of real-time physical presence, such as walking or sounds of children playing in the environment. This approach allows the patient to self-orient himself or herself in a new environment, minimizing tension, and encourages them to reactively become attentive to the sites and sounds in the recordings. Therefore, this novel approach is one of the first attempts at improving the psychological experience of patients in clinics by immersing them in a sonic milieu.