In this discussion and workshop, we’ll look at the psychology of attention, the algorithmic forces mining our attention for capital, and how greater awareness of sound can help us regain our focus. Artist and composer Kamala Sankaram and Liz Pelly, author of the acclaimed book Mood Machine, will discuss the algorithm-induced changes to today’s music listening culture through monetized online platforms like Spotify. We’ll hone our listening skills with a variety of exercises drawn from the worlds of Oliveros’s deep listening, improvisation, and soundwalk. Finally, we’ll make our own field recordings, which will have the opportunity to be included in a public performance at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.