Cathy van Eck

Which sound is special for you?

The sound of breathing. It is one of the few sounds that I also carry with me, but of which I am only aware in certain situations.

How do you practise listening?

I like to listen to sounds picked up by microphones. These sounds are then diffused through loudspeakers (small ones in my ears or big ones in the space). Using a different microphone, or different loudspeakers, a different placement in space, or a different distance towards the amplified sounds all result in a very different listening perspective. I like to be reminded in this way, that something like “hifi” listening does not exist. I always listen from a specific perspective, even when not using any devices.

Concert hall or outside?

I like to work with spaces and environments and both these categories are too unspecific for me. I like to work with buildings that have not been build as concert halls. Former factories, barns, and deserted houses. Working outside can also be interesting, but here again: just outside is too unspecific. I like to work with acoustical characteristics, using walls, arches, or windows to reflect the sounds. Not everything works though, and especially the work and the environment have to suit each other. So I often adapt the work to the environment.