Presenter: Kingsley Spargo
Title: Listening Beyond the Score: Sound Design as Music
Abstract: This session by composer and sound designer Kingsley Spargo that repositions sound design as a musical medium in its own right — expressive, political, cultural, and evocative. Drawing on film, theatre, and experimental practice, with examples from his own work including the recent play Woman Far Walking and theatre and film versions of The Haka Party Incident, Kingsley invites audiences into a deeper way of listening that moves beyond melody and harmony toward atmosphere, and cultural resonance. The lecture traces the evolution of sound design alongside — and often in tension with — Western ideas of music, asking when sound becomes music, who is recognised as a composer, and how political, Indigenous, and site‑specific contexts shape sound practice.
Date:
This World of Music Workshop will run on Wednesday 18th November from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm and include a tea / coffee break.
About the expert
Kingsley Spargo
Kingsley Spargo is an Auckland-based sound artist, composer, and educator whose work spans contemporary music, improvisation, theatre, and interdisciplinary performance. A Professional Teaching Fellow and PhD candidate at the University of Auckland’s School of Music, Kingsley’s practice explores the expressive possibilities of sound through collaboration, experimentation, and narrative-driven composition. He is also a curator and creative facilitator, contributing to exhibitions and performances through the Kim Meredith Gallery, where he works closely with artists to develop innovative, cross-disciplinary work.
With a career that bridges academia and the creative industries, Kingsley has performed and collaborated with a wide range of leading New Zealand artists and contributed to film, gallery, and live performance contexts. Known for his distinctive, exploratory approach to sound, he brings a deep commitment to creative inquiry, artistic community-building, and mentoring emerging practitioners. His work reflects a passion for pushing boundaries and fostering meaningful connections between people, place, and sonic experience.
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