Becoming Audible

Becoming Audible, Volume 1, by Austin McQuinn, examines the complex phenomenon of human and animal acoustic entanglements within art and performance practices. This scholarly work explores how sounding animality establishes a vital connection to the creatural through various artistic mediums. By analyzing birdsong, canine vocalizations, and human-simian cultural coevolution, McQuinn investigates the spaces between species. The text utilizes theoretical frameworks from Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, and Donna Haraway to examine how sound transcends traditional boundaries.

This volume serves as a significant contribution to the fields of music, opera, and theater. It draws from diverse disciplines, including animal studies, zooarchaeology, and philosophy, to challenge human exceptionalism. Through the study of works by artists such as Olivier Messiaen and Harrison Birtwistle, the book explores the intersection of acoustics and performing arts. Scholars of art history and performance studies will find this exploration of interspecies relations both timely and academically rigorous.