The idea of removing visual elements from the act of listening reminds of the Sound-Walk I did a few months ago. Fully immersing myself in the acousmatic realms of sound without any ‘distractions’. My most recent experience with radio was in the car – listening to Annie Mac as she presented a range of niche dance/garage artists, opening up my ears to something new. The introduction of new artists to the audience is – i feel – something radio does so well. The nature of listening to something someone else has control over – this idea of not having control of what you want to listen to – is something liberating yet also very daunting.
The quote “The pictures are better on radio” by Bonnie M Miller comes from an essay by her on radio listening. At first, on its own it confused me, from my consensus that radio listening was mainly auditory, however upon further research I found that the media audience portrayed radio as a visual art – possibly because of its ability to paint a strong visual image in ones mind.
“This essay takes a sensory approach to the study of radio listening by looking at American radio dramas of the 1920s through the 1950s. Analysis of radio writing handbooks, fan magazines, publicity and radio content from the period will show that radio producers, writers and actors conceptualised the art of radio listening as acutely visual, despite its auditory format. The medium invited the listener to participate actively in the visualisation process, to formulate mental pictures of characters, settings and scenes through the personalised act of listening.“
– Miller, Bonnie ‘The Pictures are Better on Radio’: A Visual Analysis of American Radio Drama from the 1920s to the 1950s
Upon listening to BBC Radio 1, as I am writing this, currently playing is gameshow – its absolutely brilliant. Im completely shocked by how much I enjoy this – it feels warm, inviting and calming, with the expectation being completely boring. There is drama, anxiety, chaos, joy all in one little auditory experience. The idea of capturing conversation live to suddenly transitioning to music ive never heard before feels like an adventure. I precariously stumble upon a sort of foreign dance music without introduction and its amazing – i am ‘forced’ to listen to this without any preconceived bias. I switch to Radio 2 and its a completely different experience – folk music – i again have never really listened to before opening me up to new experiences.