Soundscapes as a reflection on Community Conflict

In 2021, DEPA South Africa commissioned local artist Volley Nchabeleng to workshop with local communities to develop soundscapes that represented peace and conflict.  This was done to use music to break down the barriers of communication so we can develop an understanding of the environment using sound. 

Volley set up workshops to explore the concept of soundscapes and how people communicate using music and other sounds.  As a musician who specialises in indigenous instruments, he also undertook to make a number of soundscapes himself that represent his interpretation of the brief.

He worked with a number of local groups to unpack the peace and conflict brief and introduce the soundscape idea to local artists.  Volley noted:

“One of workshops I had was with group of strings called: Mmino Strings, this is a professional group that specializes with classical music and it was great challenge to combine old African string instrument with the modern violin, viola, cello etc”.

It is fascinating to listen to the combination of these instruments and then the interpretation of different spaces through the music score.  An interesting use of music was Volley’s use of landscapes to make sound.  In this Youtube video: Volley Nchabeleng music on the rock he uses a local rock outcrop to portray the initiation of boy into man in South Africa, an often conflict ridden process that juxtaposes traditional practice with modern life. 

Volley says this about the piece:

“Separation reflect on how boys are taken to circumcision and been told that they will be men when they come back home, it is a difficult era where you have to hand over certain behavior and contact yourselves in a matured manner. Music of the mountain where the only instruments  around is rocks. They believe that initiation school is a platform to teach cultural manners. Because of modern way of life we question some cultural practice and sometimes it becomes and issuer of conflict of minds when is the time to join other boys in the mountains”

The use of soundscapes as an artistic medium to understand peace and conflict has been fascinating for the research team as we have used non-verbal sounds to explore how we can teach peace education.  Having the invaluable contribution of Volley and other local artists assist us in furthering the decolonoial research agenda and how we understand art as a tool for teaching.