Sound offers researchers a powerful medium for exploring and communicating ideas, capturing environments, and giving voice to perspectives that written text alone cannot convey. This workshop invites participants to reflect on their own research through sound — what it might sound like, what sounds are connected to their methods or experiences, and how those sounds can be recorded, transformed, and shared.

Participants will be introduced to the basics of field recording, microphones, and audio editing, with opportunities for hands-on practice using portable recorders and Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). We will also discuss strategies for capturing sound and working with it as a creative or scholarly output. By the end of the session, participants will have both practical skills in using sound and conceptual frameworks for imagining how audio can extend the reach and resonance of their research.

What you need:
Participants should bring a smartphone and a laptop with REAPER software installed.

• For the purposes of this workshop, REAPER has a free 60-day trial version available at reaper.fm.
• Post-workshop/lapse of free 60-day trial, access to REAPER is available to book through the DSC's high performance computer lab.

Completion of this workshop can contribute to a partial requirement of the University of Alberta Professional Development program by the Faculty of Graduate + Postdoctoral Studies (GPS). Information on how attendance will be recorded will be discussed in the workshop.

About the Instructors:
Sean Luyk is a Digital Curation Librarian at the University of Alberta and a Co-Investigator on two SSHRC-funded projects related to audio recording, including SpokenWeb and Radio/Archive: Broadcasting Literature and Cultures of Literary Sound. He organizes the Sounds of Research competition and has previously delivered workshops on sound, from podcasting bootcamps to hands-on training in recording tools and practices. Any questions about the workshop can be directed to sean.luyk@ualberta.ca.

Rana Joudaki is a doctoral student in music composition and a research assistant at the University of Alberta. Her creative work explores the intersections of acoustic performance, technology, audio recording, and collaboration across disciplines. Her compositions have been presented internationally in concerts and festivals. Through her role with the Sounds of Research competition, Rana facilitates workshops that introduce participants to the creative possibilities of sound. She draws on her background as a composer and educator to support students and researchers in experimenting with field recording, audio editing, and sonic exploration as part of their research practice.