• The environmental issues currently at hand, including global warming, are related, but I believe that at their root lies the decline of our listening ability and the power of listening as humanity. This decline is not merely a matter of our listening ability weakening as we age, but rather it encompasses what we choose to listen to, how we perceive it, and all the various subjects of listening and methods of comprehension. I believe this decline is a collective issue for humanity, particularly in modern Western contexts where we have been taught that this is how to listen, especially in relation to music and everyday listening practices, and how we have become confined to these methods. We must have once believed in more locally rooted ways of listening, but we are losing that I think that is fundamentally connected to the current environmental issues. 

My conversation with Japanese musicologist and soundscape researcher Keiko Torigoe at her home in Tokyo on May 21, 2025. Keiko is retired from her position as professor at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo and is currently President of the Soundscape Association of Japan. Keiko is a long-time friend and colleague in the international acoustic ecology community who has done important research on soundscapes in Canada and Japan. 

Keiko answered the two following questions in Japanese: first, ‘what is role of arts and culture is in times of crisis, collapse and renewal’ followed by ‘what about your current activities as a researcher and producer of community arts projects and what action points do you recommend’). I loved how her answers included the more-than-human world and locally rooted ways of listening. You can also listen to the original Japanese version of our conversation here. 

この対談のオリジナル日本語版はこちらでも聴くことができる。

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Recognize the decline of listening ability in modern society and its connection to environmental issues.
• Broaden the concept of music to include communication with the natural realm.
• Deepen your connection with the land and local communities through artistic activities.
• Engage in collaborative projects that promote understanding and respect for diverse perspectives.
• Consider the impact of your actions on those around you, fostering intergenerational connections.

Story Preview

Imagine strolling around a tranquil pond in Japan, guided by a soundscape researcher who unveils the hidden stories of the land through music and conversation. This episode explores the power of listening, the interconnectedness of humans and nature, and the transformative potential of community art. 

Chapter Summary

The Decline of Listening
Introducing Keiko Torigoe
Arts and Culture in Crisis
The Narrowing Concept of Music
Personal Journey and Artistic Exploration
Transformative Power of Art

Featured Quotes

• I believe that at their root lies the decline of our listening ability, the power of listening as humanity.
• We have forgotten the other aspect of music, which is the concept of music that connects not just humans, but also the more than human world, allowing us to communicate with the entire natural realm.
• Art and such activities transform me, and having done it for many years, it gradually affects those around me as well.

Behind the Story

Claude Schryer travels to Tokyo to meet with Keiko Torigoe, a renowned musicologist and soundscape researcher. Keiko shares her passion for reconnecting with the natural world through listening and artistic projects. Her insights are rooted in her research in both Canada and Japan and her personal experiences in her hometown.

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). 

It’s my way to give back.

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish free ‘a calm presence' Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.

Your feedback is always welcome at [email protected] and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on July 8, 2025