Sonic Worldbuilding
Curriculum + Courses
Developed & Organized by
Madelyn Byrd
Co-facilitators
ophélie, Sk [Rain], Pablo Diserens,
Diane Barbé, Thom Lucero
Developed & Organized by
Madelyn Byrd
Co-facilitators
ophélie, Sk [Rain], Pablo Diserens,
Diane Barbé, Thom Lucero
Sonic Worldbuilding are courses & workshops developed by Slowfoam / Madelyn Byrd spanning music production and critical theory. They are geared toward FLINTA+ / diverse backgrounds & all levels of experience as a collective proposition for radically reimagining sound, society, and beyond.
The curriculum and methodology delves into sonic fiction, queer theory, surrealism, utopian theory, ecoacoustics, deep-listening practices, and neuroaesthetics, proposing sound as a transformative tool. Students explore sonic possibility through group discussion, countermapping & deep listening exercises, field recording, biomimicry, and experimental production techniques including collage/sampling, sonic un/reworlding, new timbral dialogues, and psychoacoustic alchemy. The curriculum is subversive, decolonial, and sympoietic - co-becoming and collaborative with more-than-human realities.
Past Iterations
2026 ✧ Sonorous Alchemy - 1 Day Workshop - GLOSS, Glasgow
2026 ✧ Sonic Worldbuilding w/ Slowfoam, Pablo Diserens, Diane Barbé, Thom Lucero ✧ 5 Week Course, online
2026 ✧ Ableton Production & Flow w/ Slowfoam, ophélie, Sk [Rain], Pablo Diserens ✧ 5 Week Course, online
2025 ✧ Sonic Worldbuilding Guest Lecture ✧ 1 Day Workshop, BIMM, Berlin
2025 ✧ Sonic Worldbuilding with Slowfoam & Sk [Rain] ✧ 5 Week Course, online
2025 ✧ Sonic Worldbuilding Methodology & Practice ✧ 5 Week Course, Kwia
2025 ✧ Sonic Worldbuilding II: Methodology & Practice ✧ 4 Week Course, Soundial
2024 ✧ Subversive Creative Practice & Sonic Worldbuilding ✧ 4 Week Course, Soundial
Future Formats
Courses tend to run 4-6 weeks, but can be modified to fit various formats & contexts, from 1-2 day workshops to semester long courses. It can be adjusted for in-person & online, and for all ages and backgrounds. If you’d like to host Sonic Worldbuilding at your festival, event space, university, residency, etc, please get in touch!
Contact: madelynbyrd@proton.me
The curriculum and methodology delves into sonic fiction, queer theory, surrealism, utopian theory, ecoacoustics, deep-listening practices, and neuroaesthetics, proposing sound as a transformative tool. Students explore sonic possibility through group discussion, countermapping & deep listening exercises, field recording, biomimicry, and experimental production techniques including collage/sampling, sonic un/reworlding, new timbral dialogues, and psychoacoustic alchemy. The curriculum is subversive, decolonial, and sympoietic - co-becoming and collaborative with more-than-human realities.
Past Iterations
2026 ✧ Sonorous Alchemy - 1 Day Workshop - GLOSS, Glasgow
2026 ✧ Sonic Worldbuilding w/ Slowfoam, Pablo Diserens, Diane Barbé, Thom Lucero ✧ 5 Week Course, online
2026 ✧ Ableton Production & Flow w/ Slowfoam, ophélie, Sk [Rain], Pablo Diserens ✧ 5 Week Course, online
2025 ✧ Sonic Worldbuilding Guest Lecture ✧ 1 Day Workshop, BIMM, Berlin
2025 ✧ Sonic Worldbuilding with Slowfoam & Sk [Rain] ✧ 5 Week Course, online
2025 ✧ Sonic Worldbuilding Methodology & Practice ✧ 5 Week Course, Kwia
2025 ✧ Sonic Worldbuilding II: Methodology & Practice ✧ 4 Week Course, Soundial
2024 ✧ Subversive Creative Practice & Sonic Worldbuilding ✧ 4 Week Course, Soundial
Future Formats
Courses tend to run 4-6 weeks, but can be modified to fit various formats & contexts, from 1-2 day workshops to semester long courses. It can be adjusted for in-person & online, and for all ages and backgrounds. If you’d like to host Sonic Worldbuilding at your festival, event space, university, residency, etc, please get in touch!
Contact: madelynbyrd@proton.me
