NADAM - A SONIC EXPERIENCE FOR BABIES

In this lecture, Dr. Natalie Alexandra Tse (LittleCr3atures™ Singapore) discusses the importance of the Arts for early years from the perspective of the creation of a sonic experience for babies underpinned by Asian (e.g., Chinese, Indian, Japanese) philosophical ideas of sound, nature, and being. A case study was conducted to collect data from the creation and performance of a sonic experience for babies between August 2018 to February 2019. Results demonstrate the importance of sound and its aesthetic imperatives in the nature of babies’ beings through intersubjectively, consistent with the theoretical notions of Ellen Dissanayake, Colwyn Trevarthen, and Stephen Malloch amongst others. 

Natalie shares how these were considered, as well as how they emerged, during her creation of “NADAM - A Sonic Experience For Babies”. This performance for babies and their adult counterparts was driven by sound and inspired by Asian philosophies. These were particularly evident through the multiplicities of her roles as performance-maker, performer, and researcher, and most valuably, as a mother, as her firstborn Baby Dodo was an ever present subject throughout the creation process and research period. The emergent data points to the importance of recognising babies’ agencies as active participants during a performance.

Presented via link by: Dr Natalie Tse