International Drone Day in the Hudson Valley: Sonic Activism, Deep Listening and Communal Resonance

International Drone Day is a global celebration of sonic drone, including intentional listening practices and sound-based community gatherings. We host our own event in the lower Hudson Valley of upstate New York. Through philosophical and ontological inquiry, I will explore how communal sound practices foster connection, presence and shared experience – and illustrate this with the sounds and words of several artists participating in Drone Day. These reflections will underscore the impact of the day as a form of sonic activism and collective resilience – reinforcing the need of a transdisciplinary perspective within sound studies.