This was my first time to DHSI as well as Victoria. The experience was incredible. I feel so fortunate to have spent a week learning and collaborating with so many brilliant people. I took the ‘Sounds of the Digital Humanities’ course last week. Along with learning practical skills in Audacity and Garage Band, we learned some basic sound theory and engaged in many in-depth discussions about a variety of sound related subjects including ethics and sound history.
I learned about the importance of listening. This seems like a simple epiphany, I know, but I think using your ears can be overlooked in today’s society that is so full of visual stimuli. This was an important lesson to be reminded of.
I learned about sound collage and even made my own. Now every sound I hear I can’t help but think about in terms of where it might fit into a sound collage, and question if it is a real sound or just a sound effect.
It seems to me that Digital Humanities is about the intersection of something very old and something relatively new. The fact that such a large conference has grown out of DH is a testament to just how adaptable the humanities are. I find this comforting, and I think comfort in academia is sometimes a rare commodity, and one that when found must be cherished and appreciated. It comforts me meeting so many great people who have forged a life in the academic realm. It comforts me to know that although the world is constantly in flux–as is academics–that if the humanities can find there way from parchment to PDF, maybe I can embrace the constant change and find my way in a world I have always dreamed of being a part of.