- a web site focusing on sound narrative

Sound narrative is always based on speech, sound effects, music, or silence. All these elements may be present simultaneously, but they may also alternate or synchronise with each other or with movement, images, or light. What is special is that together, the elements of sound narrative always explain or complement each other, they may even produce meanings different from those that emerge when the elements are reproduced separately. Accompanied by music, speech has a different effect from that of speech or music alone. The various sounds synchronised with a picture affect the way in which it is interpreted.

People hear their whole lives (you cannot close your ears as you can your eyes), but they have not become used to analysing what they hear. Sounds form a concrete element of our everyday lives. Without music, our radio, televisions, videos, and computer games would be just pale shadows of their present images. The everyday nature of sound makes sound narrative outwardly simple and, as it were, inconspicuous. Nevertheless, the production and conveyance of meanings through the means of sound narrative requires a critical and evaluative approach to the soundscape.

We must first learn to analyse our auditory perceptions before we can create sound narrative, that is, express images and moods through sounds, utilise the ability of different sounds to explain each other: the colloquy between silence, images, movements, lights, and shadows.

In order to develop the possibilities of sound narrative in the audio-visual sector we think the possibilities offered by sound narrative and sound expression must be considered thoroughly and holistically. A traditional textbook or video is not a sufficient medium. Our solution is Äänipää (magnetic head), a web site focusing on sound narrative.

Äänipää’s idea is to provide source material for professionals and amateurs alike and a teaching medium in communications culture. Äänipää offers its users a wide, constantly updated collection of teaching material on sound narrative and techniques as well as a chance to utilise the free software available on the Internet in teaching.

The implementation of Äänipää was financed by  AVEK (1996), Niilo Helander foundation (1996) and the KOURA (2004). Those responsible for Äänipää are Ari Koivumäki, lecturer in Sound Expression at Tampere Polytechnic (and the Tampere Institute for Arts and Communication), e-mail address: ari.koivumaki@cult.tpu.fi, and Jouni Kenttämies, producer at  Yleisradio, e-mail address: jouni.kenttamies@yle.fi