Piece Description

Venice is an acoustic gem.  It's one of the few cities in the world where the sounds of humanity are not submerged in the sonic mire of motor traffic. You would think this aspect of the city's charm would be lost on a profoundly deaf person.    But Tonie understands sound;  as a small child Tonie's father would create complex acoustic set-ups in the garden to amplify the vibrations in nature in order to help her understand the concept of sound.  Fifty years later, Tonie's ears are equipped with minute digital devices with three settings for listening in different situations:  music, one-to-one conversation, and conversation with background chatter.   

Different sorts of microphones were used to reflect the way the world sounds and how its sounds to Tonie, capturing the various levels of sound/vibrations of Venice to create a sonic landscape.    The Italian word 'to hear' is 'sentire'. The same word in reflexive form 'sentirsi' means 'to feel'. All sounds are vibrations, that 'touch' our nerves and are interpreted into emotions and ideas.  Tonie,  our deaf guide to a sound city challenges the listener to reconsider the way we listen and feel.