Sounds of Consciousness: An Autophenomenography of Music and the Mind
Bio
I’m Fiona Siobhan Murray, a communications student at Toronto Metropolitan University. My capstone started where all good ideas do, a conversation with friends. We spoke about the mediums we use when trying to understand or situate ourself when faced with a challenge. Through their thoughts and experiences I wanted to become more aware and intentional about how I interact with artistic mediums to explore my emotions.
The nature of my work is how music impacts my mind, and the way I write. Music and writing have always been apart of my process – and at the forefront of my life. I wanted to see how the two engage with one another, and how I react when the two are together. Autophenonmengraphy is an emerging type of research that situates the researcher into the phenomenon of their research. That’s what I explored in Sounds of Consciousness.
Research Summary
Sounds are all around us, we consume them without awareness. Yet when individuals do become aware of sounds, it’s hard to ignore them. This research looks at how music can potentially aid, or transform the choice or words, flow, or objective for writers depending on the type of music flowing between their ears. An in-depth analysis through the of how the mind and communication patterns function while listening to music during writing sessions. It looks at the stream of consciousness and how flow, tone, and emotional outlook alter depending on the soundscape during the writing session.
