A multimodal approach to sonic geography: A case study of the Grateful Dead, 1965-2021

Keywords: music geography, digital humanities, sound mapping, sonic geographies
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Monday
Session Start / End Time: 2/28/2022 05:20 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/28/2022 06:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 75

Abstract

Recent research on soundscapes and music’s role in the study of geography precipitated the need for more attention being drawn to the subject of music geography. This paper explores the experiences of listeners of the Grateful Dead’s music in order to investigate how the Grateful Dead’s music creates an affective place experience, thus establishing a larger communal soundscape of the Grateful Dead. This work seeks to explore how the power of sound can symbolize or leave a powerful imprint in listeners minds and how exactly this contributes to self-identity, community, and our perception of place. This work examines Grateful Dead inspired cover bands, the difference in the Deadhead community post Jerry Garcia’s death, and how the popular music scene for psychedelic rock has evolved over the years.
To examine the affective capacity of the Grateful Dead’s music and concerts on their listeners, concert locations from 1965-present were examined using more than 700 surveys, 10 in-depth interviews, and participant observation to analyze the affective capacity and sonic community building aspects of the Grateful Dead’s music. The data and methods utilized in this study were analyzed using interviewing, location analysis, a thematic approach, and participant observation. This evidence suggests that music, particularly soundscapes, has a timeless, communal affect within geography, whether it be the physical or humanistic spectrum of geography. The music, sound, and experiences that people have contribute to a larger soundscape and connection to place and identity, in this case it is the soundscapes of the Grateful Dead.