I wanted to try to compose with both silence and screams for this project. I tried to explore literal silence, but next to the screams, it felt meaningless. I sampled the sound of a CD player reading a corrupt CD. The sample is not silent, but to me it is representative of an absence of sound. Because I was using a digital sound to represent silence, I decided it would be an appropriate use of the voice samples I recorded using the Roland VT4, as it has a distinct digital quality.

Based on my research of silent sound art works, I think that silence has greater potential within live performance than audio composition. Without the context of my project and essay, this track is not evocative of the meaning I wish to represent about current feminist issues.

ONE – Total silence

Perhaps I could have utilised the total silence more creatively to add more interest and depth to the track as it sort of feels like it’s missing something. But in a way, that is the point of silence, absence and discomfort.

TWO – CD silence

The digital silence and VT4 complement each other through their similarities and differences. This track sounds much more complete to me… Is this because, as a sound artist, I feel uncomfortable with silence?

Making silent sound art, or including silence in my sonic practice has led me to what feels like endless questions… Is this art? How can just being be art? Am I performing my silence? Who is the artist if art is silent? What is being silent compared to just not saying anything?

These experiments of juxtaposing silence and screams have shown me that although silence can be used very evocatively within art, it is not an easy tool to convey meaning. I find the experience of composing with silence does not have much creative fulfilment for me and my practice, so I will not be using it going forward in this creative project.