European Evening of Sounds

Soundbite // ”Wolves howling, small pack, frost snapping”

The basic idea behind the radio program is to provide listeners with emotionally charged, conversational, diverse and interesting sounds, thus drawing attention to everyday sounds and to sound environments that have already disappeared. The aim has been to highlight the material specific to radio, i.e. sounds, and to rely on the most characteristic and historically relevant aspect of radio: how sounds create images, memories, speech, stories and conversation. The aim is also to make the program as interactive as possible, so that the general public can participate in suggesting the sounds to be played on the radio show and, where possible, discuss the meaning of the sounds with the experts.

Activities in this series of radio programmes focus on sound memories by paying special attention to acts of remembering and how sound memories are narrated. They include inserts from Evening of Sounds program broadcasts at Finnish Broadcasting company since 2013 and the aim is to further develop the concept and practices of electro-acoustic community, which comes together during the three-hour live broadcast, comprised of studio hosts and the audience. Evening of Sounds series pays special attention to the cultural, social and aesthetic nature of sound requests by the callers, comparing them to music call-ins in sharing music and experiences related to them. The series wants to raise awareness of Europe’s common history and values by enhancing the understanding of its acoustic heritage. One important objective of the activities is promoting the agency as well as social inclusion of the oldest group of radio listeners who fall between the so-called third and fourth age in Europe. While reaching “fourth age” in the past meant solely that the old person has become frail and dependent, we are convinced that this does not necessarily mean that she or he has no significance anymore in society. People may also move back and forth between the third and fourth age (see Grenier, A.: Transitions and the Lifecourse : Challenging the Constructions of 'Growing Old' 2012). Lastly, the series contributes to social inclusion and agency of exactly the population living in this stage of their life.

Project Leaders Heikki Uimonen, Principal Investigator of European Evening of Sounds, University of Eastern Finland; Helmi Järviluoma-Mäkelä, Project Manager of European Evening of Sounds, University of Eastern Finland; Jukka Mikkola, Project producer of European Evening of Sounds, University of Eastern Finland

Expert collaborators: Pertti Yli-Kojola (Producer, Finnish Broadcasting Company, Audio); Barbara Hribar, (B-Air); Saša Rakef Perko (RTVSLO); Gregor Pirš (RTVSLO & Ars Acustica Group, EBU); Nikoleta Dojčinović (RTS); Marijana Gojković (RTS); Ljubinka Dobrilović (RTS); Giuseppe Gavazza (CRESSON); Nicolas Tixier (CRESSON); Nicolas Rémy (CRESSON); Julien McOisans (CRESSON); Mojca Delac (RTVSLO); Damir Godjevac (RTVSLO); Darja Hlavka (RTVSLO); Bojana Šaljić Podešva; Rajko Muršič (University of Ljubljana); Aleš Ogrič (RTVSLO); Luka Hvalc (RTVSLO); Primož Trdan (RTVSLO); Anamaria Štukelj (RTSLO); Tina Ogrin (RTVSLO); Sabrina Povšič Štimec (RTVSLO); Meri Kytö (University Teacher, soundscape researcher, University of Turku); Pavlica Bajsić Brazzoduro (Radio Teatar); Carehomes in Finland / Slovenia / Serbia TBA.

External financers: Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland

Activities timeline (draft, TBA):
Workshop (on-line), 24.2.2022 Workshop, Ljubljana, at RTV SLO, 17.5.2022
Fieldwork in Serbia, Slovenia, Finland, France, Italy:
Preliminary interviews 1.4.--30.7.2022 Individual interviews & Workshops, group / individual interviews in care homes 1.7.2022--30.4.2023
Radio broadcasts: Evening of Sounds, Finnish Broadcasting Company Radio1, 23.10.2022 Art’s Birthday Party in collaboration with Ars Acustica Group, January 2023 Evenings of Sounds, Radio Television Slovenia TBA 2022-23 Radio Television Serbia TBA 2023
Interactive Sound Map under construction. Meanwhile you can send sounds and descriptions of what they mean to you in MP3 format to the e-mail address heikki.uimonen@uef.fi