Shuffling through the Old Town

This compilation by Jen Ross takes a different approach to what we have already seen (and heard) within Elektronisches Lernen Muzik. Up to this point we have normally invited individuals to nominate tracks that correspond with their learning experiences. On this occassion however, we move from reflection to action, with a 'live playlist' created in response to a walking seminar through Edinburgh's Old Town. Jen picks up the story: 

"I had my music on shuffle (as I often do) while I was walking down the Royal Mile to the office before the event, and Kate Bush’s 'Cloudbusting' came on, and I thought 'What a good fit for the walk we're about to do!' That gave me the idea to try to create a serendipitous playlist during the walk."

"I used Spotify on my phone and searched for keywords relating to things I was seeing, discussing or thinking about on the walk. Some are obvious (like Rooster for the big rooster sculpture at our first stop); others are a little more abstract (I can’t even remember what I was looking at that brought Monkey Man into the mix… I think it was something to do with monkeys on Blair St!)."

"When people realised what I was doing, they made suggestions for keywords or songs (Things Can Only Get Better was someone’s else’s association). I sometimes listened to a few seconds of the options before choosing one for the playlist, but I wasn’t bothered about whether I knew the songs or not. I don’t know if Spotify’s search results were weighted at all by the kinds of things I listen to on the service… it’s a bit hard to tell."

Soon after the walk Jen used Google maps and Spotify to situate each music track within its corresponding location in the Old Town. The interactive map below traces the meandering route followed by Jen and her fellow participants during the walking seminar, whilst linking to the nominated songs that were triggered by the encountered sights and other experiences. ​​

The way that Jen's playlist came together provokes interesting questions about the relationship between music, listener/learner and digital technology. The way that serendipity sparked the initial idea evokes a sociomaterial sensibility where learning is understood to be a sometimes disparate gathering of temporal, spatial, technological and human agencies (see for instance Fenwick, Edwards & Sawchuk 2011). Meanwhile, Jen alludes to the possibility that the compilation of songs is shaped by the complex algorithm hidden behind the slick interface of Spotify and other sophisticated applications (Edwards & Carmichael 2012). What is also hard to attribute is how those songs suggested by Spotify in turn affected the rhythm and interest of the walk? To what extent did the range of available music and the speed with which it could be streamed affect how the city was experienced and understood by Jen and her co-walkers? 

​Put a playlist on shuffle and it does more than change the way you walk.

Dr Jen Ross is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Education at The University of Edinburgh.