IMPROVe: Exploring modes of listening

In my thesis I explore how listening is shaped by the noise and sound reproduction machines of modernity to understand how this has influenced our environmental sonic awareness. I present a positive viewpoint of my experiences from working with sound, music and technology. From this viewpoint I introduce IMPROVe which is a concept for listening to, recording and improvising with the sounds from everyday life. The practical implementation of this concept includes the experimental use of mobile phones for engaging with the sonic environment. I developed a working prototype using the mobile phone and the computer to enhance the activities in the IMPROVe concept. It has been used in workshops and performances where the idea has been to work with site-specific sounds to promote the attentive and critical listening to the environment by the participants