Deep listening® facilitation

about the practice

Deep Listening® emerged as the personal and compositional practice of Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016) and was developed experimentally by Oliveros from the 1970s onward. Starting in 1991, Oliveros began organising retreats with IONE (author/theatre-maker) and Heloise Gold (choreographer/t’ai chi instructor) to develop DL within community. The Center for Deep Listening now coordinates training in DL. I have been a senior facilitator for the online training program since 2016.

Deep Listening® workshop

A DL Workshop of two-three hours is facilitated within a circle of participants and may include: ~Posture and energy (qigong) exercises to encourage full-body listening. ~Movement improvisation and the extreme slow walk to stimulate creativity and connection. ~Breathing practices and improvisation to connect with self and others. ~Listening meditations, listening questions, listening pieces, or Sonic Meditations. ~Discussion in duos or small groups. ~Exploration of the sonic environment, including the creation of interactive text scores and listening questions in attunement with place.

supporting listening community

Pauline Oliveros devoted her life to building community through shared listening practices. Whether it is a series of workshops or listening walks, a Deep Listening® retreat or immersion, DL practices can help cultivate awareness, creativity, and connection. There is always more to include in our listening. One of my favorite quotes of Oliveros comes from 'Sounding the Margins' (2010): 'Yes, Deep Listening is the foundation for a radically transformed social matrix in which compassion and love are the core motivating principles guiding creative decision making and our actions in the world' (p. 90).