So far, we haven’t really dived into what sonic art or sound art means. While it sounds straightforward, the concept is both self-explanatory and a bit mysterious.

What is Sonic Art? In essence, sonic art involves artistic practices that center around sound, audio, or listening. Unlike visual art, sonic art explores sound as its primary medium. Think of it as a broad, inclusive umbrella that can cover anything from performances to research dealing with sound.

While the term “sound art” didn’t really gain traction until the 1970s, its roots can be traced back to the early 20th century. Early pioneers from the Avant-Garde movement used the term loosely alongside others like audio art, sound poetry, and experimental music.

**Our Working Definition

For this course, we’ll define sonic art as any practice where sound or listening is a central element. This might even include visual work that explores sonic themes. The strength of this broad definition is that it allows artists to shape the term to fit their own creations, without forcing their work into rigid categories.

Why Do We Need This Term? Some might ask, “Why create a term when there are already more specific categories out there?” The answer is simple: traditional categories aren’t flexible enough for evolving ideas. The terms art and music are often confined by definitions, but the 20th century forced a rethink. Artists and musicians pushed against the boundaries set by gatekeepers who defined what was and wasn’t acceptable as art or music.

** Art vs. Music Boundaries **

In the 20th century, the art world’s elites had rigid ideas of what qualified as art or music, rooted in aesthetic and technical values. They often rejected works that didn’t fit these narrow definitions. Sound-based art challenged this, making it difficult to commodify or fit into gallery spaces, as it wasn’t always a tangible object.

In contrast, music traditionally centered around melody, harmony, rhythm, and a 12-note scale—a Western concept. But artists began questioning this. Could the noise of the city or spoken word performances be considered music? Could music be just organized sound? Composer Edgard Varèse thought so, calling music “organized sound,” a definition that opened doors for sonic art.

Defining Music

For this class, we’ll adopt Varèse’s idea: music is the organization of sound, whether by the artist or listener. This broad perspective acknowledges that what one person considers music might not align with traditional definitions, but that’s okay.

The Blur Between Sound Art and Music The line between sound art and music is fuzzy. Music is obviously a sonic art form, but not all music fits comfortably under the term sound art. For example, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony is universally considered music. But if you stretch that symphony over 24 hours, like Leif Inge did in his work “9 Beet Stretch,” some might question whether it’s still music or something else entirely. It’s a blurry space, and some sound artists prefer the term sonic art to avoid the cultural baggage tied to music.