Attune: Audio Explorations of Environmental Stories
Conference Year
January 2021
Abstract
Attune explores the philosophies, ideas, and professional work of environmental scientists and thinkers through sonic storytelling methods. The aim of this project was to exercise the emotional power of storytelling and share the voices of those shaping modern environmentalism. Each audio vignette considers the intersection of ecology, art, and activism through semi-structured, recorded interviews and field recordings of Vermont natural spaces. Interview conversations guided the story-making process. Virtual interviews were collected, transcribed, coded by theme, and organized into a dynamic script. Powerful audio was mixed with voiceover and thoughtful sound design to create five twenty to thirty-minute podcast episodes. The editing process was collaborative; final drafts of each episode were shared with those featured in them for feedback and critique. Finalized vignettes were published online on a variety of podcast listening platforms and the University of Vermont Reporting and Documentary Storytelling webpage.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Richard Watts
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
Rubenstein School of Environmental and Natural Resources
Program/Major
Environmental Studies
Primary Research Category
Food & Environment Studies
Secondary Research Category
Arts & Humanities
Attune: Audio Explorations of Environmental Stories
Attune explores the philosophies, ideas, and professional work of environmental scientists and thinkers through sonic storytelling methods. The aim of this project was to exercise the emotional power of storytelling and share the voices of those shaping modern environmentalism. Each audio vignette considers the intersection of ecology, art, and activism through semi-structured, recorded interviews and field recordings of Vermont natural spaces. Interview conversations guided the story-making process. Virtual interviews were collected, transcribed, coded by theme, and organized into a dynamic script. Powerful audio was mixed with voiceover and thoughtful sound design to create five twenty to thirty-minute podcast episodes. The editing process was collaborative; final drafts of each episode were shared with those featured in them for feedback and critique. Finalized vignettes were published online on a variety of podcast listening platforms and the University of Vermont Reporting and Documentary Storytelling webpage.