Why More-Than-Human Musicking Now?

In an era marked by ecological challenges, cultural shifts, and technological advancements, it is important to (re)consider our understandings of music and sound within multispecies contexts. From indigenous communities to urban settings, from natural habitats to digital realms, the ways in which humans engage with other species through music and sound offer ground for exploration and dialogue. We invite scholars and artists from diverse disciplines to contribute to our symposium. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Critical perspectives on terms, theories, and methods used in more-than-human research
• Research on multispecies movement and sound-making in ethno/musicology, sound studies, performance studies, and other disciplines
• Sensory ecologies and their biological and social significance
• Animal and plant communication systems and their parallels with human sound-making and language practices
• Technological mediation and use of AI in researching interspecies interactions
• Methodologies for working with soundscapes in field research, scholarship, and art
• Indigenous knowledge systems and their implications for multispecies research
• Ethical and political considerations in engaging with non-human agents