Hello! Welcome to the first lesson in our module on case studies. Over the next few lessons, we'll be moving from foundational theory to practical application, analyzing specific film examples through the theoretical lenses we've developed. This is where the concepts truly come to life, and it's a crucial step in building the analytical toolkit for your doctoral research.
Today, we will focus on applying the core concepts of R. Murray Schafer's soundscape theory—specifically keynote sounds, signals, and soundmarks—to an analysis of sound in a Moroccan context. Although we've touched upon Schafer's work in Module 1, we will begin with a focused review of these terms to ensure we have a robust, shared understanding before applying them. This will allow us to conduct a nuanced analysis, moving beyond simple identification to understand how these sonic elements function to create meaning.
For our case study, we will examine scenes from Moroccan hip-hop music videos, treating them as short films that construct complex urban soundscapes. This will provide a direct and relevant bridge to your research interests in Moroccan cinematic sound.
1. Recapping the Foundations: Schafer's Soundscape
Let's begin by solidifying our understanding of the foundational terms introduced by R. Murray Schafer, the pioneer of soundscape studies. His work provides a vocabulary for describing the sonic environment and our relationship to it.
To refresh these key concepts, please read the following brief section from an article on soundscape design. While the article's subject is cyberpunk, its definitions of Schafer's terms are exceptionally clear and concise.
Shaping the Soundscape of the Cyberpunk World | Part 1
This reading provides clear, practical definitions of the three core types of sound in Schafer's framework. It will give us the precise vocabulary we need for our analysis.
Please read the section titled '2.2.2 Categories of Sounds in the Soundscape'. Focus on understanding the distinct role of each of the three categories: keynote sounds, sound signals, and soundmarks.
Excellent. As the reading explains, we can summarize the three main components of the soundscape as follows:
| Concept | Definition | Function & Character | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keynote Sound | The pervasive, often unconscious background sound that "colors" the sonic environment. It is not always consciously heard but is a constant presence. | Sets the fundamental character of a place. It's the sonic ground against which other sounds are perceived. | The sound of traffic in a city; the hum of the wind on a plain; the sound of waves at the coast. |
| Sound Signal | A foreground sound that is meant to be consciously heard. It is an acoustic figure against the keynote ground. | Actively conveys information, commands attention, and signals a specific event. | A fire alarm, a ringing telephone, a car horn, a whistle. |
| Soundmark | A sound that is unique to a specific geographic area or community, prized for its cultural or historical significance. | Functions like a landmark, identifying a place and making its sonic life unique. Often protected by the community. | The sound of the Big Ben chimes in London; the specific call of a cable car in San Francisco. |
Understanding the distinction between these elements is the first step. The real analytical work, as we'll see, lies in examining how they interact, how their status can change, and what those changes mean within a specific cultural and narrative context.
2. Case Study: Hearing the Moroccan Houma
Now, let's apply this framework to a rich and relevant example. We will be working with a scholarly article by Chris Vandermeulen titled "Hearing the Houma: Sound, Vision, and Urban Space in Moroccan Hip-Hop Video." This text is a superb model for your own future research, as it combines soundscape theory with media analysis and a critical perspective on postcolonial urban space in Morocco.
The article analyzes how music videos construct and "teach" viewers to hear the soundscape of the houma (the neighborhood). We will focus on the analysis of the video for "Dmou3 L7awma" ("Tears of the Neighborhood") by the Tangier-based rapper Muslim.
Please read the following excerpt from the article. Pay close attention to how Vandermeulen uses Schafer's concepts to build a complex argument about the video's soundscape and its political message.
Hearing the Houma: Sound, Vision, and Urban Space in Moroccan Hip-Hop Video
This reading is the core of our case study. It presents a sophisticated analysis of a Moroccan music video, directly applying the theoretical terms we just reviewed to make an argument about the normalization of suffering in an urban soundscape.
In the section titled 'Neighborhood Vibes: Audio-Visual Constructions of l-Houma', please read the analysis of Muslim’s 'Dmou3 L7awma'. Start from the paragraph beginning 'The video for Muslim’s “Dmou3 L7awma,” (“Tears of the Neighborhood”)...' and continue to the end of that section. Focus specifically on how the author discusses the sound of 'weeping' and its transformation from a signal to a keynote.
3. Analysis in Action: From Signal to Keynote
This analysis provides a powerful example of how to apply soundscape theory in a dynamic way. Let's unpack the central argument.
Vandermeulen's key insight is that the video manipulates the status of a single sound concept—weeping—to make a political point.
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Weeping as a Signal: Initially, weeping functions as a classic signal. A signal, as Schafer defines it, is a sound that draws conscious attention to a specific event. The sound of a person crying points to a discrete moment of pain or grief. It is a foreground event. In the video, this is dramatized visually near the end, when we see a mother weeping over her dead son. This is the signal in its pure form: a specific sound tied to a specific tragedy.
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Weeping as a Keynote: However, Muslim's project in the song and video is to argue that this sound has lost its power as a signal. The lyric "The neighborhood weeps for a son" is repeated, suggesting this is not a singular event but a constant condition. The author brilliantly identifies this shift:
"The sound of weeping thus changes register from what Schafer calls a 'signal noise'—one that carries meaning by drawing attention to a particular object or event—into a 'keynote' sound, one that is perceived unconsciously yet 'forms a background against which all other sounds are perceived.'"
The weeping becomes the keynote of the houma—a pervasive, background hum of collective suffering that residents have become numb to. It is so constant that it is no longer consciously "heard" as a signal demanding a response.
The Pedagogical Function
The analysis goes a step further by discussing the video's pedagogical task. The video uses "indexical audio-visual crossovers" to teach the audience to hear this keynote. We don't always literally hear the weeping in the audio track. Instead, we see visuals of suffering (the dejected boy, the grieving mother) while Muslim's lyrics tell us the neighborhood is weeping. The video forces the viewer-listener to imagine the sound, to re-sensitize themselves to this keynote and hear it as the tragic signal it once was. The goal is to reverse the numbness and make the audience "open their ears" to the reality of the houma.
This is a far more sophisticated application than simply listing sounds. It analyzes the functional transformation of a sound category and connects that transformation to the video's social and political argument.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we have moved from defining Schafer's foundational terms to applying them in a complex, culturally specific analysis.
Key Takeaways:
- A soundscape is composed of keynote sounds (the background hum), signals (foreground information), and soundmarks (unique community sounds).
- Applying soundscape theory involves more than just cataloging sounds. The goal is to analyze their function, their relationship to the environment, and how they shape perception and meaning.
- As the case study of "Dmou3 L7awma" demonstrated, the status of a sound can be dynamic. A sound can shift from being a signal to a keynote, and this transformation itself can be the central theme of an audiovisual work.
- Filmmakers and artists can use visual information to "index" sounds that are not literally present, teaching the audience to imagine and attune themselves to a particular soundscape.
This type of analysis, which connects theoretical concepts to specific artistic choices and their socio-political implications, is central to the work you are undertaking.
Preview of the Next Lesson
In our next lesson, we will continue our case study of Moroccan film, but we will introduce a different theoretical framework: that of Michel Chion. We will explore his concepts of added value and synchresis and see how they offer a complementary perspective, one focused less on the sonic environment and more on the specific, perceptual fusion of sound and image. This will allow us to analyze how a soundtrack doesn't just represent a space but actively transforms what we see on screen.