School of Social and Political Science

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What does it mean to do and think things through sound? What kind of insides about the world can sound reveal when used as a method of inquiry? In the Ethnography in Sound workshop, we considered these questions through exploring sound and listening not as mere tools of representation, but as powerful and embodied ways of knowing and experiencing the world. Looking at several ethnographic examples, the students had a chance to trace how sounds and music become an act of knowing, being and a method of research. The latter was further analysed via an experimental ethnographic exercise which included a unique live performance from the Romani musicians representing the Ando Glaso project. 

The aim of the workshop was to allow students to reflect on the agentive power of sound and music from a new angle. Sound and music were discussed not as mere representations or illustrations of a motif, a story or melody. More than that, exceeding writing and vision bias, students had a chance to engage with data collection beyond the text and beyond observation which constitute some of the key methods in fieldwork practice in social sciences. To illustrate these objectives better, the workshop featured numerous ethnographic examples from which sound and music emerged as discrete ways of doing and ways of thinking. 

Tuvan throat singing practice from southern Siberia was introduced here as an example of an intimate relationship that Tuvan throat singers establish and maintain through sound with landscape and other-than-humans, such as gods, spirits and animals. In this way, music created by the singers offers a unique insight into their communication with the surroundings while emerging as an example of distinct sonic epistemology. To illustrate further how sound can generate concrete knowledge, we also turned to the idea of ‘sound calendars’ used by Tuvans (who continue to practice nomadic existence) when moving through the land between different seasons. As Tuvans explain, diverse changes in the sounds of winds, birds and trees help them decide if the time to migrate has arrived. 

Moving on to the agentive power of sound in the workshop, we concentrated on the example of Syrian dabke upbeat dance music. Analysing the experiences of kinship, friendship and a sense of belonging amongst some of the Syrian communities, this ethnography clearly showed how relationship ties could be established and strengthened through diverse embodied practices (such as, dancing, moving closer or further away from music) which mediate and are mediated by the multisensorial (touch, smell, sound, voice) environment of dabke practice. In this way, sounds have power to both bring people together and push them apart. From Syria we returned to Tuva and discussed the role of sounds in Tuvan shamanic practice. Focusing on the notion of kargysh/chatka – Tuvan curse – we looked at the ways in which shamans use the power of sound during the rituals in order to remove or inflict powerful curses. As people in Tuva say – a good shaman is the one that can sing well and show you something. What is implied by this, is that powerful shamans articulate during rituals diverse sounds: screams, gasps, words. If they do so efficiently and effectively, than sounds can facilitate and establish intermittent encounters between people and spirits present at the ritual. These encounters are usually experienced via mixture of senses – such as, a glimpse of an image, touch or a particular smell. If the shaman continues to work well, then sounds will be powerful enough to afford a series of such unique experiences. 

Having discussed different ways in which sound can be considered as a discrete way of thinking and doing, we focused on the strategies through which sounds can be also considered as a method of inquiry. This is particularly instructive here, as it challenges the more established, traditional ways of doing research based on textual and visual methods. In order to allow students to go beyond their conventional research training, the workshop featured a unique performance from the Romani band Ando Glaso. The goal of the performance was to provide students with a unique opportunity to conduct ethnography in sound, and later reflect on the benefits and the obstacles of conducting research in this less conventional manner. Before discussing further the activity, it is important to explain who Ango Glaso are and what their mission is. 

‘Ando Glaso was established informally in 2016 to encourage greater understanding and participation in the cultural heritage of the Romani people in Scotland aiming at stimulating and advancing community cohesion that is built on respect for celebrating diverse cultural identities. The organisation was initiated by a dedicated group of volunteers who shared the passion and desire to further encourage links between the Romani and Scottish diverse cultures at several levels including support and understanding through the promotion of arts and music programmes, educational workshops and seminars, conferences and events at local and national level. Ando Glaso’s mission is not only to strengthen and support Romani people; but to work with diverse communities and stakeholders across Scotland to celebrate and promote Romani cultural heritage’[1].

As Ando Glaso introduced themselves, the students were told that they would have a unique opportunity to learn something new about the Romani music culture through embracing the Romani sounds. In order to set up the activity, the students had to, firstly, agree in groups on their research objective regarding the Romani culture and then, in groups, design one research question each. Afterwards, they engaged in a 15-minute Romani music performance which combined powerful signing with instrumental music. While watching, the students were taking fieldnotes on the notions of, among others, voice, body language, interactions between musicians. Next, in groups, they had an opportunity to compare their notes and attempt to answer the research questions based purely on their sensorial engagement with music and the musicians. As they shared their hypothesis with the group, the students had also a chance to receive feedback from the musicians, ask additional questions and reflect on the efficacy and limitations of using sound as a method of inquiry. After the workshop, the students reflected on their experience and expressed great interest in these kinds of engagements, in particular, the opportunity to combine theory and critical thinking with a live ethnographic event. 

This creative way of introducing and teaching social science concepts and research methods provides students with a unique chance to encounter different cultures within the university’s milieu (the experience which they might not, otherwise, have). It further instils great enthusiasm in students, and appears to generate immediate and powerful realisations of the complexity of the world, unlike standard lectures and seminars where ideas and methods often remain abstract and distant. 

by Dr Mally Stelmaszyk