Jul 2, 2026 · 0 min · 12 segments
Delve into the multi-disciplinary world of sound studies with Scott Smallwood, composer, professor of music, and director of the Sound Studies Institute (SSI). Learn about…
Scott SmallwoodGuestTimi Tokpe-OriolaHost
I'd say, first of all, on a pure sonic level, I've always been really interested in texture as a sort of fundamental material in sound.
In other words, rather than like thinking first from melodies in my head or harmonies or grooves, roofs even, even though those things come into it sometimes because they can be the texture.
But it's more about my interest in layering and thinking about sound like a kind of sculptural material or a canvas series of fabrics.
From very early days, I kind of always knew that even though I played the piano and played percussion, the thing that I always felt like was my real instrument was the microphone because it allowed me to bring in sounds from anywhere and think of them as musical materials.
I think the other thing that's happened over the years is my work has become More political, some of the concepts have risen beyond just the purely sonic ones into areas in life that I'm interested in or concerned about.
For example, I think a lot about climate change and I think about the soundscape.
The older I get and the more that the world changes, the more concerned I get about nature of what our world is and how sound works.
I'm interested in how we've become noise connoisseurs and how that's infected the kinds of music that we make.
But also the serene quality of a quiet forest where there's no planes flying overhead is like the holy grail of human experience for me.
The two things contrast very much with each other and I'm interested in that.
My lived environment and the kind of local landscape in the town that I live in, the community that I know, all of those things have always affected and inspired me.
And I've always just been really interested in the idea that music is one part of a larger universe of sound.
My entire life has been characterized by just the joy of discovery, that all sounds can be part of what we call music.
I spend a lot of time listening, what Pauline Oliveros called deep listening, really.
Trying to pay attention with all of my intention to everything that I'm hearing and imagining what it means and how it can be an enjoyable and profound exercise, but also can be terrifying and just allowing myself to feel all of those emotions.
Certainly, just like any composer, too, like any artist, a lot of the things that I've heard and encountered in my life in terms of
I'd say, first of all, on a pure sonic level, I've always been really interested in texture as a sort of fundamental material in sound.
In other words, rather than like thinking first from melodies in my head or harmonies or grooves, roofs even, even though those things come into it sometimes because they can be the texture.
But it's more about my interest in layering and thinking about sound like a kind of sculptural material or a canvas series of fabrics.
From very early days, I kind of always knew that even though I played the piano and played percussion, the thing that I always felt like was my real instrument was the microphone because it allowed me to bring in sounds from anywhere and think of them as musical materials.
I think the other thing that's happened over the years is my work has become More political, some of the concepts have risen beyond just the purely sonic ones into areas in life that I'm interested in or concerned about.
For example, I think a lot about climate change and I think about the soundscape.
The older I get and the more that the world changes, the more concerned I get about nature of what our world is and how sound works.
I'm interested in how we've become noise connoisseurs and how that's infected the kinds of music that we make.
But also the serene quality of a quiet forest where there's no planes flying overhead is like the holy grail of human experience for me.
The two things contrast very much with each other and I'm interested in that.
My lived environment and the kind of local landscape in the town that I live in, the community that I know, all of those things have always affected and inspired me.
And I've always just been really interested in the idea that music is one part of a larger universe of sound.
My entire life has been characterized by just the joy of discovery, that all sounds can be part of what we call music.
I spend a lot of time listening, what Pauline Oliveros called deep listening, really.
Trying to pay attention with all of my intention to everything that I'm hearing and imagining what it means and how it can be an enjoyable and profound exercise, but also can be terrifying and just allowing myself to feel all of those emotions.
Certainly, just like any composer, too, like any artist, a lot of the things that I've heard and encountered in my life in terms of
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