Sonic Tehran Network

We welcome anyone interested in urban sound to join the Sonic Tehran Network.

We meet (online) once a month to discuss writings on urban sound and creative work that engages with the historical and contemporary sounds of Tehran. If you'd like to join the network, do contact us.

The network includes sound enthusiasts, musicians, sound artists and others interested in the sounds of Tehran.

Meeting Schedule

Meetings take place in the first week of every (Gregorian calendar) month, on variable days, at 7.30-10pm Iran time; 4-6.30pm UK time; 8am-10.30am West Coast North America. On Zoom.

Forthcoming Meetings

Tuesday September 5th 2022

Readings and speakers to be confirmed.

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PAST MEETINGS

1. Monday May 10th 2021

Introductory meeting and introduction to the network

2. Monday June 7th 2021

PART 1: Readings for discussion

1. 'Resounding the Campus: Pedagogy, Race, and the Environment’, Amanda M. Black and Andrea F. Bohlman (2017)

2. ‘Soundmapping: Critiques and reflections on this new publicly engaging medium’ by Jacqueline Waldock (2018) https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/214583/214584

Part 2: Speakers

Payam Pilvar

Talieh Attarzadeh

3. Monday July 5th 2021

Chair: Solmaz Shakerifard

Schedule

4-5pm Reading Discussion (please read the article below in advance)

Ari Y. Kelman. 2010. “Rethinking the Soundscape.” The Senses and Society 5 (2): 212–34

4pm - Discussion of Kelman in breakout groups
4.50pm - Groups feedback to whole meeting

5.05-5.15pm - Short break

5.15pm - Speaker: Mahsa Pakravan: 'Soundscape, Sonic Experience, and Sonic memory in Iran: Jewish and Muslim Cultural Identity in Udlajan, Tehran' (please read the article below in advance)

Mahsa Pakravan. 2017. ‘Soundscape and Sonic Memory: Dynamics of Jewish and

Muslim Day-to-day Social Interactions in Udlajan, Tehran’, Sound Studies 3(2): 134-51.

5.45pm - Speaker: Kamyar Salavati: 'Songs of Brick and Clay: Worksongs of Qajar Architects'

4. Monday August 2nd 2021

Chair: Armaghan Fakherierad

4pm - Speaker: Pantea

5-5.10pm short break

5.10pm - Speaker: Leonie Roessler

Please listen to the below in preparation for the meeting

Leonie:

The link below will take you to a page where you can listen to (stream without having to download or pay) three recordings related to the project Leonie will be talking about:

https://leonieroessler.bandcamp.com/album/tehrsfahan-a-sound-collage

Pantea:

Please watch the animation below made by Pantea and her friend Kate Foster, using headphones for the the audio if possible (I'm providing both the YouTube link and the Vimeo link here)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX9rR_oOjdQ

https://vimeo.com/470092056

Please also read this essay, Pantea has written about a plant called Sundew from its own point of view and it's related to a part of her presentation about the more-than-human.

Pantea has also asked the following:

"Not necessary but if the group could think about a piece of sound/soundscape that they hear/listen to on an everyday basis (in the past or present), and can bring a recording of it, that would be wonderful. This will accompany an invitation I am going to propose."

5. Monday September 6th 2021

Chair: Kamyar Salavati

4-5pm Reading Discussion (please read the article below in advance)

Ja‘fari-Harandi, Minâ. 2016. 'Yek Gune-ye Tāzeh Motevalled Shode-ye Musiqi-ye Khiâbâni dar Tehrân' ('A Newborn Street Music in Tehran"'), Mahoor Music Quarterly, 70: 89-116.

4.05pm - Discussion in breakout groups
4.45pm - Groups feedback to whole meeting

5-5.10pm Short Break

5.10pm - Speaker 1: Mina Harandi

5.50pm - Speaker 2: Solmaz Shakerifard

'Interdisciplinary approach to sound studies in the 21st century: Ziad Fahmy, Ana Maria Ochoa-Gautier, Negar Mottahedeh, and Denise Gill'

6. Monday October 4th 2021

Chair: Anna Rezaie

Discussion of three chapters from Keywords in Sound (2015), ed David Novak and Matt Sakakeeny: 'Introduction', 'Listening', 'Noise'

Discussion of translation project

7. Monday November 1st 2021

4-5pm Discussion of articles

- Keivan Aghamohseni article on football sounds

- Two chapters from Keywords in Sound

4.05pm - Discussion in breakout groups
4.45pm - Groups feedback to whole meeting

5-5.10pm Short Break

5.10-5.50pm - Speaker - Keivan Aghamohseni

8. Monday December 6th 2021

4-5pm Discussion of articles:

Rennie, Tullis. “Power Struggles: The Politics of Composing with Sounds of Protest.” Leonardo Music Journal 25 (2015)
Rennie, Tullis. “Editorial: Socially Engaged Sound Practices.” Organised Sound 26, no. 2 (2021): 163–65.
Mackay, Sam. “Polite Applause: The Sonic Politics of ‘Clap for Carers.’” Organised Sound 26, no. 2 (2021): 211–18

Listening:

1. https://soundcloud.com/tullisrennie/womens-march-on-london-21st-january-2017

2. https://www.wallsonwalls.co.uk/godwincrowndale

4.05pm - Discussion in breakout groups
4.45pm - Groups feedback to whole meeting

5-5.10pm Short Break

5.10-5.50pm - Speaker 1 - Tullis Rennie

5.50-6.30pm - Speaker 2 - Iman Jesmi

9. Tuesday January 4th 2022

Chair: Payam Pilvar

4-5pm Discussion Session

Preparatory Reading:

Denise Gill, ‘The Listening Body in Death’, Sounding Out! (2017)

https://soundstudiesblog.com/author/deniseelifgill/

And listening:

The Animal Turn. S4E2: Sonic Methods with Jonathan Prior

https://theanimalturn.buzzsprout.com/1246910/9531496-s4e2-sonic-methods-with-jonathan-prior

4.05pm - Discussion in breakout groups
4.45pm - Groups feedback to whole meeting

5-5.10pm Short Break

5.10-6.30pm - Speaker - Ramin Sadighi (Hermes Records)

10. Wednesday February 9th 2022

Chair: Mina Harandi

4-5pm Discussion of articles and listening

Reading: Emily Thompson. 2004. “Noise and Modern Culture, 1900-1933.” In The Soundscape of Modernity: Architectural Acoustics and the Culture of Listening in America, 1900–1933.

Listening: https://www.soundinghistorypodcast.com/episodes/episode-7

4.05pm - Discussion in breakout groups
4.45pm - Groups feedback to whole meeting

5-5.10pm Short Break

5.10-5.50pm - Speaker 1 - Pirooz Arjomand

5.50-6.30pm - Speaker 2 - Mehrnoosh Mansoorgarakani

11. Monday March 7th 2022

Chair: Mohsen Nourani

4-5pm Discussion of articles

Readings:

Hamshahri Memari: Architecture and Urbanism Magazine, No. 88: (Please read pages 31-35)

Spinetti, Federico. “Of Mirrors and Frames Music, Sound, and Architecture at the Iranian Zūrkhāneh.” In Music, Sound, and Architecture In Islam, 356–84. University of Texas Press, 201.

4.05pm - Discussion in breakout groups
4.45pm - Groups feedback to whole meeting

5-5.10pm Short Break

5.10-5.50pm - Speaker 1 - Sara Sabet

5.50-6.30pm - Speaker 2 - Pouya Nekouie

12. Weds April 6th

Speakers: Mohsen Nourani and Armaghan Fakhreirad

13. Friday May 6th

4-5pm Discussion of article and listening

Reading:

Asma Mehan. “Manifestation of Power: Toopkhaneh Square, Tehran” in Spaces and Flows: International Conference on Urban and Extra Urban Studies, 2017

Listening: http://radionist.com/podcasts/ep28-meydantoopkhaneh/

5-5.10pm Short Break

5.10-6.30pm - Debate on Tehran and sonic identity: Does Tehran have a (sonic) identity? Has it lost its identity? Speakers: Armaghan Fakhreirad, Paria, Kamyar Salavati, Payam Pilvar, Mona

14. Sunday June 5th 2022

Chair: Armaghan Fakhreirad

4-5pm Discussion of articles

5-5.10pm Short Break

5.10-6.30pm - Speaker: Dr Khaghani, Lecturer, School of Architecture, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran.

15. Monday July 4th 2022

4-5pm Discussion of articles

5-5.10pm Short Break

5.10-5.50pm - Speakers - Gascia Ouzanian, Christabel Stirling and members of the Sonicities team. https://www.soncities.org/

16. Monday August 1st 2022

4-5pm Discussion of articles

5-5.10pm Short Break

5.10-5.50pm - Members of the Sonic Tehran sound walks team talk about their work.

Guest speaker: Mina Behr from Sayaareh project