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Articles

Vol. 14 No. 2 (2025): Ecomusicology in Indigenous Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and beyond

Intertidal Conversations: On Developing a Practice of Listening to Earth

  • Diana Chester
  • Damien Ricketson
DOI
https://doi.org/10.59998/2025-14-2-2586
Published
2025-12-18

Abstract

“Intertidal Conversations” explores connecting to our environment through sound via the research and creative installation project Listening to Earth. Through a three-way collaboration with Earth, sound artist Diana Chester and composer Damien Ricketson explore geophonic soundscapes for its ability to serve as a vessel of knowledge for the storage of more-than-human memories. The article outlines the process of deploying listening instruments, including hydrophones, geophones and custom designed aeolian harps, in dynamic intertidal zones in southeastern Australia, and the creation of a sensory installation that expands the thresholds of hearing beyond what is perceived by the ear. Drawing on writings in sound ecologies, listening practices and decolonial discourse, the authors seek to explore avenues for actively working against more traditional extractivist approaches to sound-based methodologies by engaging with Earth in an ongoing process of dialogic exchange.