Six Sounds

For this assignment I chose to make the six sounds using different tones for each. As I experimented with all of the different settings I was able to create sounds that were entirely different from each other, just by changing the effects. I used varying lengths and effects to transform simple tones into interesting and complex sounds. While some are more successful than others, I still feel that each taught me a little more about sound manipulation. While I have listed most of the effects that I have used as well as the settings for the original tone, I experimented with all of the filters, choosing the ones that worked best with the particular sound. I found that to make smoother transitions between different effects (within the same sound clip) that it was easiest to make the starting point wherever the sound wave passed to zero dB. Whenever I tried it at any other point, the transition would become extremely noticeable and ruin the effect that I was attempting to use. While this exercise did teach me a lot about how to use Audacity, I still feel that there is a lot more that I need to accomplish before I will be completely comfortable using the program.

-Jason

Trial 1:
Tone:
Waveform: Square
Frequency: 200
Amplitude: 1
Length: ~15

Effects:
Echo
Bass Boost
Wahwah

Trial 2:
Tone:
Waveform: Sawtooth
Frequency: 20
Amplitude: .80
Length: 15

Effects:
Equalization
Bass Boost
Phaser

Trial 3:
Tone:
Waveform: Sawtooth
Frequency: 5
Amplitude: .5
Length: 15

Effects:
Bass Boost
Phaser
Equalization
Invert
Fade In/Out

Trial 4:
Tone:
Waveform: Square
Frequency: 815
Amplitude: .3
Length: ~10

Effects:
Echo
Equalizer
Bass Boost
Change Pitch
Phaser

Trial 5:
Tone:
Waveform: Sawtooth
Frequency: 15
Amplitude: .9
Length: 5

Effects:
Change Tempo
Phaser

Trial 6:
Tone:
Waveform: Sawtooth
Frequency: 95
Amplitude: .6
Length: 7

Effects:
Wahwah
Echo
Bass Boost

Second Time!

Going back out to the same location was definitely a different experience and I think that is largely due to what time I was there. When I went back a second time, it was around 11, so most people were already in class. Because of this, there is very little audio of any people, its mainly just insects, construction, and cars.

After listening to the audio file, I realize that I need to invest in a better microphone. The quality was not nearly as good as I hoped it would be. A lot of the sounds ended up becoming muddy and it is hard to distinguish certain sounds. Most of the louder sounds came out just fine however.

I feel like I definitely had a different experience in person than when I listened to the recording. The human ear can pick up a lot more than a built in microphone, so listening to it was almost a let down compared to the original. Although good art can be made regardless of equipment, I think I would still feel more comfortable with a better device.

I think that the written description does a better job at describing the overall feel of the environment. I think that if I recorded the noises using binaural mics, I would have a different feel for it. With the 3D audio (and better quality) I think that the description would just as accurate as the recording.

While the audio tack is a near perfect representation of all of the noises, it lacks the overall feel that writing gives. I can describe the environment while describing the noises, whereas with just sound, it is hard to get the same feeling.

That said, however, there is no suitable replacement for a recording.

-Jason

Listening exercise: recording comparison

The sound of the wind features a lot more prominently in the recording, probably due to the sensitivity of the microphone. Specific noises that remain prevalent are rushing traffic, crunching leaves, footsteps, and human conversation. Some sounds made their way into the recording that I hadn't noticed or observed before; insect buzzing seems to be getting gradually more common as the day gets hotter. Squirrels and birds, too, seem more active, and the sounds of their claws skittering over leaves and tree trunks can be heard faintly at several points during the recording.

Sound Art and Music

Sound art can be music, and music can be sound art. It's definitely a tricky topic. More experimental artists tend to make music that borders on sound art. One of my favorites is J.G. Thirwell, who produces music under many names and dabbles in many styles. Attached to this video is one of his endeavors, Manorexia. The other is some sort of crazy mechanized concert, which borders on sound installation.

Compared Audio

What I think comes through in my writing of what happened and the actual audio is the overwhelming force of all the traffic sounds. You are aware that its outside from other ambient noises but its clear that I'm close to the streets. The men on the roof I speak about in the writing were not in the audio recording, I think they moved to a different section of the roof. Also, the constant chatter and clacking of flip flops were absent in the recording.

Recording vs. (wo)man

So I heard the exact same things that I wrote down before while recording sounds at the top of the stairwell. The difference was that when I played them back on my laptop I only heard 1/3 of it. Only the louder sounds came out somewhat clearly, and the rest was a strain. in that way,t he kind of disconnected ambiance was lost from the experience. The feeling of disconnection is still there, but through the recording it becomes an eerie, almost scary sort of disconnection. When it originally was a warm, welcomed disconnection. Instead of a hermit people-watching, you become a stigmatized outcast, vulnerable to your surroundings, aware, and cautious. In future projects I'll have to take experience versus recording into consideration as it can entirely change the project I may have in mind entirely around.

Recording late-morning social hour in the hallway to the library

Hm...well, as I went back to the hallway in which I had originally been, it was a completely different setting because before I was the only person there (save for a few passersby). At this point, it was almost crowded with architecture students waiting for their class to begin. So instead of the soft, ambient noises, there is a lot of chatter, rustling of books, clicks of other strange objects, and shifting of papers. There are still some squeaks of shoes and miscellaneous snaps. I like how the vocalizing is all clearly in English, but it's difficult to make out what any of them are saying. Ah! I hear a clip-clop. It sounds almost like I'm in a diner, what with the clinks and lunchtime gabbing.

What's the art sound?

I believe, like art, sound art is an audio piece which leaves the viewer thoughtful and contemplative of the medium. I feel that it is a large category which includes mainstream artists as well as noisebands playing with obscure meanings. So long as the actual audio inspires others to think about what they are listening to and why they are listening to it, then it can be considered a form of art.

I found alot of the songs from Coraline exemplified this. The fact that the vocals are sung in an entirely made u language fascinates me to no end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkocr4opaeM

Here is another from Coraline

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqsxMg2-ulY&feature=related

Sound art : what it is?

Speaking in the broad terms that the conventions (or lack thereof) of modern art demand, the term "sound art" could include any work that utilizes or addresses sound, either of the artist's creation or from some other source, or both, or possibly neither. I think in a general way of speaking, sound art is any endeavor to address, explore, or reference sound, and the perception of that sound, assuming that the approach itself can be included within the realm of artwork, which is in itself a paradoxically evasive thing to define. There does seem to be, for the time being at least, some definitive delineations between what constitutes music and sound art, although it can be difficult to distinguish or differentiate between the too. Broadly speaking, again, it seems to me that music can be considered sound art, and sound art can be considered music, but that not all sound art necessarily falls within the confines of music as it is currently defined. It may be that an unchangeable definition of music or sound art is by its very nature impossible to create, but that there is much modern sound art and music which attempts to explore, clarify, or detract from that definition.

Tim Hawkinson : Uberorgan





This next link I thought might be appropriate for the question of what constitutes/separates music from sound art. Couldn't get the link to work for some reason, so you'll have to copy and paste if you want to listen.

Peter Andersson

http://www.last.fm/listen/artist/Raison%2Bd%2527%25C3%25AAtre/similarartists#pane=webRadioPlayer&station=%252Flisten%252Fartist%252Fraison%252Bd'%25C3%25AAtre%252Fsimilarartists

What is Sound Art

I think music can be sound art or a very small part of it. Although I'm unclear of the line where music stops and sound art begins. Some music artists who blur this line for me is Girl Talk and even Dj Shadow:

Girl Talk especially uses popular music as a basis for his own experimentation.

But even more than popular music he uses all genres of music as part of a

process or means to an end to get a final product.

Dj Shadow:

What is sound art?

This is a tough question, as I am pretty unfamiliar with sound art as a whole. Sound art is just art, using sound as a medium rather than a paintbrush. It focuses on experience and response, but most of all time. Sound, more than paint, sculpture, or most other tactile medium, can only be experienced when time is taken into account. It has to be experienced and endured (probably a bad word to use). Sound art can be atmospheric. It almost always utilizes layers. Sound is a dangerous medium, as it is more invasive than any other artistic medium. While one can look away from a painting, sound demands attention. It cannot as easily be ignored, and can have a more internal affect on the art spectator, trickling into ones ears and raising the hairs on skin. Sound, also unlike video or visual art, has the power to kill, which I find very interesting.

blog question response

Write about what you think sound art is and sound pieces that have made an impression on you.

Going along with my somewhat broad definition of art, I think sound art is anything meant to be impressive which utilizes sound in some very prominent fashion. Under this definition, most music could be considered sound art, which makes sense to me.

One piece that used sound prominently, that made an impression on me was this installation piece where somebody filmed individuals in headphones singing along to various popular songs, and then displayed each recording on a wall of TVs stacked on top of each other, each with its own audio, and the result was a kind of chorus. I can't remember the name of the artist at the moment. I think we actually looked at it in one of the previous classes I've had with Katerie, though.

What is sound art?

I am the type of person who has an extremely loose definition of art, so when it comes to classifying something, I tend to believe that it is entirely up to the person who is listening to the piece. As each person has a different reaction to every piece of art, I think it is impossible to say that there are strict guidelines governing what should be considered art.

That aside, I think that a loose descriptor for sound art would be: any collection of sounds that is arranged by somebody. I don't think that they inherently have to be trying to make art in order for it to be classified as art. Some simple sounds can be as interesting as a composed work, so I don't think that we should attempt to draw a line between the two.

Personal opinion is by far the most important factor in deciding whether or not something is sound art.


I recently found a digital sound artist, Pogo, who composes a majority of his songs just through sound clips that he takes from a film. He has worked on films such as "Alice in Wonderland," "Mary Poppins," "Harry Potter," and many more. The complexity of sound that he creates is fantasic and I think it really goes to show just how much can be done with small pieces of sound.

He also does music videos (using film footage) and I have posted two of my favorites.

What is Sound Art?

I think that's pretty much the same as asking the question "What is art?" In my opinion, I've always thought art is anything. In short, as long as someone somewhere considers something art, then it is --at least to that one person. The same would apply for sound art. Any form of sound can and may be considered art by someone. Music? Sure. Waves at the beach? Why not? The booming and bustling of a busy city? Of course. Silence? Yup. Whether it be one single moment of sound or a long, continuous string of sound(s), why couldn't it at least be considered art by someone?

Here's a cool little video I found recently. The music in it is original and it obviously reminds me of early chiptune/bit music. The video is also quite impressive:

Listenng to all that jazz

So I sat on the top stairs to FAC and listened for 20 minutes. Here was what I wrote down:

Heels clacking down stairs
BAM as door bar is pushed
SLAM as door is closed\Mysterious creak
Rustle of plastic or the buzz of something dangerously electric
Harsh thud of door opening
Quiet push of door- harsh closing
Squeak like toilet roll being turned
Distant male voice talking
Small subtle creak of windows
Someone whistling high, controlled, melodius
Female voice muffled and dragging
Forced steps up the stairwell, shuffling
Dragging, muffled, female laughter
Short, inconsistant chirping
Whine of a copy machine
Low, unobtrusive hum of the AC
Slap Slap slap slap of shoes on stairs
Tap tap tap tap of shoes -pause- -shuffle of clothes-
klank of door and thud of closing
Muffled distorted voices. Thud.
Loud voices in conversation distorted by echo. Tremulous, thud, whap, whap, whap, whap of walking. Thud Thud of 2 closing doors
Harsh whisper of paper against paper.
Soft tapping geting heavier with weight. light clack of door resistance before clank and thud of closing door
Rush of stomping cacophony, angry stompstompSTOMP slapslam.
Consistant muffled conversation. whiiiiiir whiiiiiir, droll conversation- protesting tone
Deep authoratative tone, sharp, intentional, slow
squeak squeak squeak sqeak
Rumbling roar muffled by glass
Creak of opening door taptaptaptap taptaptaptap taptaptaptaptap thud
Creak dudududududududududu skipda dududududududuududud clack- thud
jangle klangtang, coins dropping
Female chatter, low, concerned, continual
Squeeeeeeeeeaak. kwiiiiiiiiiiii~enh

Listening exercise

In the area between FAB and FAC, I spent about twenty minutes in various spots closing my eyes and listening. I noticed that similar sounds were more noticeable at first each time, but gradually, other quieter, less initially noticeable noises distinguished each smaller area from the next. During my time closer to FAB, the traffic on 13th was one of the louder sounds, as well as conversation from students going in and out of the building. I tried listening more to the quality and features of individual sounds, as opposed to thinking about their source, and found it difficult to not make visual associations with sounds when I was pretty sure of their source. For instance, it was hard to not picture what sort of vehicle I thought might be making a particular sound as it passed, with scooters making a more high-pitched buzzing, and large trucks chugging and rattling. At one of the picnic tables under the large trees, nearer to FAC, the sound of the traffic was less intrusive, while the sound of leaves being the primary background noise; leaves crunching underfoot, branches rustling in the wind, leaves ticking along the pavement as they were blown by the wind. Under the walkway by FAC, the sounds of the building doors opening and closing created an irregular tempo that underlined the passing pieces of conversations.

Ambient Sounds

I'm still relatively close to classrooms, so I hear lots of murmuring and distant speech, scooters, cars, buses, whizzing by, people commuting from one class to another, dragging their flip flops against the concrete. I can't distinguish whole conversations because of this large group going by. The door in front of me opens and closes quite often, I assume class has just ended. More flip flops slapping against the pavement. Distant speech. There's lots of traffic and mobility happening. I think I hear some whistling. I am again aware of the constant traffic by the sounds of screeched tires, accelerating engines, large robust trucks and buses, etc. There are some workers on the roof speaking in Spanish. I think one of them smokes by the sound of attempting to use a lighter. A student just barreled down the stairs on a bike. Amongst the constant traffic, the conversation of the workers on the roof and small birds chirping is evident. One of the men on the roof is chanting something. More flip flops. As more students approach, I can hear bikes moving and zippers clanging against book bags. The girl about 15 ft away from me sniffles, and then coughs. More students head up and down the stairs in a constant chatter. The men on the roof I can hear again.

Listening Excercise

I hear a clank, something hitting a meal pipe. Talking in the distance. The soft ticking noise of someone riding a bicycle. Another bicycle, this one with squeaky wheels. The soft rhythmic thumps of someone walking nearby, and the rustle of their clothing. Constantly in the background there's the thrum and swish of traffic. A rhythmic metallic thumping somewhere far away. A high-pitched, regular beeping so soft it's almost subliminal: a large vehicle backing up somewhere - I imagine a garbage truck. More footsteps, louder as they get closer to me, then fading out, occasionally scraping across the concrete with a rough, sandy noise. The higher pitched scraping of dry leaves moving against the concrete, propelled by the wind in bursts. A loud, abrupt hum as an air conditioning unit starts up somewhere nearby, then turns off again. A short burst of a fuzzy, staticy sound. Talking. Footsteps. The hum of the A/C unit again. Something rattling in the middle distance. The A/C unit turns off, you can hear the fan whine as it slows down. Somebody is chaining their bicycle to a post, making clanking and rustling sounds. Thumping. A rhythmic, high pitched rhythm of three beats repeated close together. Birds chirping. Somebody rolling some sort of cart over the sidewalk, it thumps over every crack. Something squeaking rhythmically - a rusty wheel? Traffic in the background, that distinctive hum that a bus makes when it stops. A soft thump as something falls from the tree overhead. Another bicycle, going fast, a sharp squeak as it breaks. The bells from Century Tower, announcing the quarter-hour. A skateboard thunking over the cracks in the concrete. Birdsong, persistent now. A repetitive, U-shaped whistling. A much higher-pitched, faster response from another bird. The air conditioner on again. A truck accelerating somewhere improbably close. The puff of air of releasing hydraulics. The a/c unit is off. More footsteps, sounding munchy over the leaves. The clunk of a door closing. More clanking - not a door? Talking, footsteps. The beeping of a truck backing up, closer this time. The fast, spindly ticking of another bicycle, squeaking, thumping, rustling and clanking as it is tied up. Rattling. The rough buzz of an airplane overhead - a helicopter? A hollow ringing off in the distance, as if someone was blowing in an empty bottle. The sandy rustling of the leaves in the wind, soft thumps as they fall to the ground. The buzz of an insect flying past. Thump and squeak and thump of a door opening and closing. Staircase-shaped bird calls, sporadic. A fast, hight pitched rattling - an insect? The wail of an ambulance in the distance, getting nearer. Two ambulances? The sounds overlap. A bird chittering.

Comparison to Recording

First of all, I think I really need a better microphone. My recording came out a lot more gurgly and hummy than what was actually there. It made a lot of the sounds pretty unrecognizable and mysterious and kind of creepy. The A/C unit I mentioned before didn't turn on at all when I was recording, too, and there weren't any bicycles, I don't think. I guess everybody who had one tied it up in the morning and now they're all walking.

The distant talking's the same in the recording, as are the fading footsteps, though they're harder to make out. You can also hear birds chirping, but they're different kinds of birds. You do get the random beeps and clanks and squeaks that I heard earlier this morning, and I think the cart with the squeaky wheel goes past again at one point. The distant traffic is kind of hard to make out over all the microphone static.

Also, in the recording at certain times it kind of seems like somebody's chewing gum loudly with their mouth open nearby. I don't think that actually happened. It's weird.

Sounds

-sneezing
-motors
-beeping
-acceleration
-humming
-squeaky brakes
-bicycle clicking
-loud thumps
-whistling
-trucks
-cars
-air releasing
-footsteps, crunching grass
-rattling
-clicking
-flowing air
-brussling
-quiet clinking
-bang
-boom
-tap
-scratching
-bending
-folding
-bus
-rubbing
-crickets
-sniffing
-hissing
-ripping
-ringing
-man's voice
-moving
-trying
-huffing
-puffing
-crumpling
-clearing throat
-pat
-repetitive
-zooming
-ruffling
-pumping
-rustling
-ding
-dong
-music in my head
-crushing
-flip
-flop
-bell
-screeching
-blowing
-flicking
-wind (going through leaves and by my ear)
-rumbling
-horn
-sticking
-unsticking
-wailing
-swallowing
-deep breath
-swishing
-jingling
-leaf blower
-airplane
-shouting
-yelling
-wiping
-cracking
-echoes


Second Outing

This time there was a lot less noise --all of the construction vehicles were gone, there was no garbage truck around, it was in between breakfast and lunch, so no one was going back and forth on bikes, walking, or otherwise, it was during class time, so there was little to no movement around. There was, however, the blood drive RV which was making some noise. Other than that though, it was pretty quiet.

You can listen to the recording here.

aural interpretations

I sat outside for 20 minutes, receiving vibrations in the air, interpreting those vibrations, converting them to words, which are collections of symbols that also are interpreted back into sounds to communicate meaning. I'm probably missing a few steps.

croaking
keys jangling
bike lock rattling
dueling croaks
chatter
clearing throat
cough
single croak
sandals scraping concrete
truck backing up
bicycle gears spinning
air conditioner
squeaky bike brakes
heels (male)
laughter
croaks
metal hitting rail
acorns falling
light bird chirp
scooter
sandals smacking heels
garbage bins rolling along sidewalk on plastic wheels
sandals hitting pavement
chirp
croak
acorn rolling down palms
century tower :30 minute bell
birdsong
snapping twig
leaves falling
cellphone conversation (one-side)
maintenance car driving away, stopping
mansong
slamming door
maintenance car slowing
backing truck
yawn
scratching hair
pencil writing
airplane overhead
heels (female)
wind rushing through trees
empty trash cans rolling
emergency siren
marimba

I went back later and recorded it.

This time, mostly hearing recorded silence. The sound isn't as rich as being there. You can hear distant croaks. Insects. footsteps, muffled conversations. birds. I sneezed once. It picked that up pretty well. a squeaky cart rolls by at the end.

Sound Exploration

Date: August 26th, 2009
Time: 9:20 AM - 9:40 AM
Location: The bench beside the lake which is adjacent to FAB and FAC

I chose to pick a location that I walk by often, but rarely stop at. There is a lot of "common" noise pollution. I use quotes on common because there are noises and sounds that I frequently hear everyday.

Since I am next to a side-walk, I can hear the pitter-patter of people's foot wear each time it hits the ground. Without looking I can generally get a good image of what kind of shoes they're wearing based off of the noises that I hear.

Softer footsteps (which sound more like a shuffle) are generally from people wearing sneakers, while louder shoes are often heels or women's footwear. Often you can also hear the clapping of flip-flops as the soles of the sandals slap against their wearer's feet.

Most people aren't talking, though some are listening to music, so occasionally I can hear muffled music. Also, people on bikes are easy to distinguish as there is a loud clanking sound as they pass.

Keys clinking and people laughing are two noises that I commonly hear as people walk by. Occasionally you can hear the rustle of clothing, but that's highly dependent on the fabric. Most of the time, the sounds are undetectable.

There is a lot of noise pollution coming from 13th Street mainly from loud buses, scooters, trucks, or motorcycles. I can also hear when there is a red-light as you can hear some cars' breaks squeal. When the light turns green, you can hear all the engines rev, so its usually a good indication of how many cas are actually on the road.

Of course there are natural sounds, such as crickets chirping, birds squaking, and occasional frog croaks (though they are very few). Unfortunately however, these noises are vastly deafened by all of the other surrounding noises that are made by people.

Also another damiliar noise is the sound of construction and the ocassional shout between workers. The sound of their machinery is distinct and extremely rhythmic. I'm not sure if I'm just making that connection or if each worker has their own rhythm.

I definitely think that the noises from the road are the most jarring, they're usually short and loud. It's nice when the road becomes quiet, about every 5 minutes or so, there is a lull in traffic an it allows for me to pick up more noises from my surrounding environment.

After watching all of tese people pass by me, I've realized that individually, each person does not end up making much noise; it's only when there are people travelling together that it makes such a large difference.

Hearing Stuff

So, first I heard everything and interpreted it by naming what it was/might be. Then I just listed the sound effects. I am only going to list the second part, as I think I was doing it wrong the first time.

Ever present low hum and rattle. Snaps and cracks perpetually interject. Flip, flop, flip, flop. Swiiiiing, squeal. Click. Crack, snap, crack, snap. Sweep, swish. Jangle, squeak. Flip, snap, scrape. Hummmmm. More pop and crack. Ding. Chatter..."Norman?" "Everything's really close, you can walk anywhere." Murmuring (masculine). "Wait, so..." (whispering, inaudible, voices fade away. Slight snickering. Ding. Click, shuffle, scuff, snap. Vocalizing. Ding. Jangle, shuffling softer, snap-click. Crunchcrunchcrunch. Hummmmm. Thud shuffle sweep crack. Squeak and whistle. Shift, rattle rattle. Thud. Clop, clop, clop. Squeeeeeal click. Soft tap swish tap, snap. Click, crash, jingle, crinkle, flap flap thud, all the while crinkling, very softly. Sweep, stop. A slight whine, scrape, shuffle, thud, scrape/crunch. Squeeeeeeeal (something needs some WD40). Thud click, echo. Slap sweep slap sweep, shuffle. Shift, swish, wheeze, whine. Still pop and click. Distant drone. Crack click, shut. Clip clop, sweep, clip clop. Jingle slightly. Jingle tinkle, rustle, click sweep click, chunkachunk, shut. Shift, breath, gust, click click. All the while popping and snapping and cracking. Sheeeep, click-a-click, swiiing click sweep click sweep sweep. Vocalizing. Chuckchuck, chick. ka-chunk. Whoosh whoosh crunch, whirrwhirrwhirr shhhh...huh. Snap crackle pop. Jingle, murmur (feminine) huh. Jingle whir, squeak, rumble, crinkle, scrape. sneeze, shuffle, swing click.

Touch the Sound

What struck you the most about how the medium of sound was used in the movie?

(Aside from the fact it was used at all, Evelyn being deaf) I suppose it was how it related to touch. When she was talking about her experience with her percussion teacher at age 12, I was intrigued by the effect of sound on the body, and thought of how it might cause the fluids in the body to tremble/blood reverberate.

How can we relate (at least one element in) this movie to digital media?

Layers. There were no single sounds--everything was used/heard/experienced in combination with another sound; they were all parts to a whole; multi-dimensional. Digital art relies on multiple dimensions and layers.

What experience do you have using sound, both technically and in your art?

Just the one project last year involving thread and car sounds--oh! Well, I suppose I used sering as a project several times, and I became very in tune to the rhythmic act of thread...I don't know? PULSE.

Do you already have any reading equipment (microphones, speakers, etc.)?

Nope! :(

Touch the Sound

I was most impressed by Evelyn's ability to seek out and find interesting sounds or percussion tools. The emphasis of the sounds created by crowds and cities, sounds I normally passed off as noise, was enlightening.

Her sounds are experimental, which seems to be almost exactly what Digital Media is.

I've done some sound editing, podcasting, etc. But I don't use it much.

I need to invest in some better equipment, for sure.

Touch the Sound

What struck you most about how the medium of sound was used in the movie?

A lot of the time when I see or hear music being played with "everyday instruments," it is most often nice to listen to, but it has no real beat, rhythm, or musical undertone to it. These pieces that were played in the video (most of the time) had all of these elements. I was especially fascinated by her sense of rhythm/beat and her use of this with all of the tools she used to play. Even if she was just using things found in a restaurant (such as the scene in Japan), she made it sound "right" rather than just someone banging on plates and cups.

How can we relate (at least one element in) this movie to digital media?

The man in the video who was partnering with Evelyn used his guitar in some pretty interesting ways. He stuck what looked to be pieces of wood in between his guitar strings and struck the pieces of wood to create sound. The way in which the wood vibrated back and forth reminded me of early soundboard/chiptune music (as did Evelyn's use of the walkie-talkie antenna).

What experience do you have using sound, both technically and in your art?

I've played the trumpet since I was in the 5th grade. I love making music, and I try to learn more about it often. While trumpet is the only instrument I would say I'm "proficient" at, I love playing different instruments and learning how to play them. I know how to play the ocarina, guitar, piano, clarinet, drums, and a few other instruments.

A few pieces I've done in the past are have musical elements or are inspired from music.

Do you already have any recording equipment (microphones, speakers, etc.)?

I have a headset (headphones and noise-cancelling microphone) that I for recording my podcasts and sometimes music with. It's not the best, but it's pretty good.

"Touch the Sound" Responses

- What struck you most about how the medium of sound was used in the movie?

The use of sound to accentuate some of the anecdotal sequences of the movie, that is, scenes that depicted Evelyn interacting with other performers, made those experiences more real to me perhaps than a voice-over describing those interactions would have been. Additionally, the portrayal of sound as a "tactile" stimulus that can be "felt" encouraged the viewer to try experiencing sound in that way, especially during some of the more resonant extended musical sequences.

- How can we relate (at least one element in) this movie to digital media?

The creation and augmentation of sound using digital methods is something that we as members of this generation are pretty familiar with. Some of the less traditional methods of sound-making, particularly for use in musical compositions, encouraged me to think of other ways that digital media could be used to create similarly functioning sounds. For example, thinking of possibilities that utilize not just methods intended for creating musical sound (digital keyboards, synthesizers, and programs like GarageBand), but also making use of other resources with different primary functions (vocalizing programs like Speech, dialing modems, etc.)

- What experience do you have using sound, both technically and in your art?

I have used sound in the past for different art projects, and have used different methods of capturing and producing sound, including musical instruments, voice recording and alteration, and experimental non-instrumental musical composition. I enjoy playing musical instruments and learning new ones.

- Do you already have any recording equipment (microphones, speakers, etc)?

I have a set of pretty good speakers, and a set of headphones with a microphone attached. I intend to purchase a directional mic as well.

Answers to questions about a questionable picture show

What struck you most about how the medium of sound was used in the movie?

The sound was both manufactured and naturally made. There were portions of the movie where Glennie took whatever she could in her immediate surroundings and tapped up beats with some of her co-workers. There were also instances where she was alone. In-betweent hose clips were clips of her listening to sound being naturally created as she traveled from place to place.

How can we relate this movie to digital media?

Sound is made naturally, but now can be exported world-wide through digital means. Digital art is not limited to the screen, rather it becomes unlimited and accessible by everyone. Sound is like this. It intertwines with digital media, complimenting it in its capacity to expand.

What experience do you have using sound both technically and in your art?

Technically sound has been involved in my life in the way I observe people. When I go to the mall and people watch, there is usually a cacophony of sound which accompanies the view that I enjoy. As far as my art, I like to incorporate sound in the form of music to express my feelings within my project. Sometimes natural soundtracks are enough, but other times I enjoy fully developed songs exploring music in a way I am unable to manifest.

Do you already have recording equipment?

I currently have garage band as well as a microphone and numerous digital instruments to record with in garageband. Also I have audacity.

What struck me most about how the medium of sound was used in the movie was the physical relationship to the body, not just the ears. Sound can be both a singular and collective experience simultaneously.

We can relate the physical stimuli and response that sound can evoke on an audience as part of digital media. Not only hearing or listening, but experiencing sound.

The experience I have with sound varies widely. I have experience playing percussion instruments, recording, editing, and dabbling in some dj'ing, sampling, and remixing, etc.

I have speakers and my onboard microphone. I'll be looking into purchasing an actual microphone later on this week.

Sound and Digital Media

I thought the film was a good choice to get us interested in sound. Although the constant pounding of tools from the roofing crew was at points ridiculously loud, I still was able to connect to the audio.

As one of my close friends is legally blind, I understand what a person with a disability has to endure, but I also understand how much more adept her other senses are because of it. I believe this to be extremely similar to what the host said regarding the subject.

I have to admit that a lot of the points during the film I ended up focusing only on the sound, while the video (which was interesting) was placed in a secondary position. I have always been interested in the idea of sound, though it is still a field in which I am unfamiliar.

I think focusing a lot on the vibrations of the sound is extremely important when it comes to "feeling" the music. I write the word "feeling" with quotations because I am not speaking solely of the act of feeling it through one's ears. Instead it is feeling music via the vibrations in materials that sound causes. While I think a lot of the enjoyment in music comes from the process of hearing, I don't think that sound would be as rich if we only heard the world through a pair of headphones with minimal bass.

I really enjoyed the film, and especially the long periods in which I (as the viewer) could just watch the performers create music. I think this film was a good start to introducing us to the ideas of sound capturing and production.

What struck you most about how the medium of sound was used in the movie?

I think what was the most interesting was the almost inaudible sounds. While they may be faint, they really make up a lot of the ambient noises that people hear on a day to day basis.

How can we relate this movie to digital media?

I think that although being musical in origin, these concepts and practices are extremely similar to the ideas of digital media. Brainstorming is used to create ideas and new sounds and in digital media, the artists experiment in very similar ways.

What experience do you have using sound, both technically and in your art?

I don't have as much experience as I'd like, but I do know audacity pretty well and I have been trying to learn Adobe SoundBooth. I have actually learned a lot more over the summer as I have been interested in using higher quality audio in my works. I also have been studying 3D audio, and I plan on incorporating it into my work. (Of course this means that headphones would be required).

Do you already have any recording equipment?

I have some normal mics, as well as 2 (lower quality) portable digital audio recorders that I was planning on using to create 3D audio. I have some decent computer speakers as well as a surround sound home theater system.

Touch the Sound

While watching the movie I found myself acutely aware of where the camera/cameraman had to be. For the most part the people on the screen ignored it entirely, which actually kind of undermined this as a documentary for me, since either they had to be prompted not to look at the camera, or else they'd had to edit out a lot of footage where people did look at the camera. It's weird how the film's efforts to capture a 'genuine' experience by mostly pretending away the camera actually makes it less genuine.

What struck you most about how the medium of sound was used in the movie?

I found the idea of sound as a form of touch to be pretty interesting. I guess technically you can think of your eardrums as just being really tactilely sensitive to the air against them, and the only difference between that and what you get from your skin is the way your brain processes the input.

I wonder if Evelyn Glennie 'hears' lower-pitched sounds better than higher pitched ones, since she relies on her body and not her eardrums to sense vibrations. I imagine it would be kind of like the way a wall filters out the higher pitches of music and leaves the lower ones.

I also think it's kind of hilarious they felt the need to subtitle Evelyn's brother's Scottish accent, considering the movie's all about sound.

How can we relate (at least one element of) this movie to digital media?

I think sound is something we pretty much always at lest consider, however cursorily, when doing anything with digital media, but I don't think I've ever really explored it's presence as a physical vibration when doing the work. It might be beneficial to consider the difference between using pre-recorded sound and sound created on the spot when doing an installation.

What experiences do you have using sound, both technically and in your art?

I have a little experience with working with Audacity, mostly from a couple of projects in Time-Based Media class, and as a side effect of working on other projects. But compared with my knowledge of editing visual images, I have very little experience with editing sound.

Do you already have any recording equipment (microphones, speakers, etc)?

I have one very, very crappy microphone that clips behind your ear, that I think came as part of a package deal with a very crappy webcam. I plan on getting a better one tomorrow. I also have a couple of pairs of headphones, but the speakers on my desktop computer are currently broken.

Hello Message

Hello.

So

In Allyse tradition I shall introduce myself in a whirl of babble~

Hey I'm me and I like to wind surf in the Tabegos, north of the Jenfa Islands. Occasionally I take long walks on the Jenfa beaches- some lastings months, f not days. I enjoy staring into the sun as well as saddling puppies. For lunch I enjoy the occasional Rorsharch toasted with a coke on the side. And finally I like digital media because I'm a good person. End.

Hello, World

Hello!

Hello World

Hello! I'm on here and it works!

-Jason

Chase Smith

This is me playing Star Wars game.

First day . . .

Hey friends.

Friends.