Over the last few weeks I have been reading many different articles on sound and its importance in the media world. The article that stuck out in my mind was The Art of Noise by David Toop. I liked the ideas of braking down types of sounds, music, art, and noise. It really got me thinking about the differences and similarities between sound art, music, and sound used in art. I can’t see noise as just noise, but as the bases for creating new and exciting types of sound media.
David Toop talks about the types of sound media and gives many good examples of different sound artist and how they are using noise to create their works. “Sound is ubiquitous, unstoppable, immersive, the agency through which spoken language is understood and music is absorbed” (Toop 1). Without sound it would be very hard if not imposable for us to communicate and interact with one another. Toop talks about sound as a “function of time” describing our surroundings, directing our attention and increasing environmental awareness. Next Toop compares sound to things such as visual media showing sounds ability to always stay with us and visual arts flaw in always being a fixed media. Lastly Toop goes into great detail explaining how different artist us sound to crate music, sound art, and sound in art.
The main thing that this article has got me to do is look at my own artwork, take a steep back, and decide what direction I want to take my sounds. Music and sound art use sound as there big picture creating and conveying the ideas through sounds and sounds only. On the other hand sound in art is more of and add-on to the bigger picture. I think that it would be very interesting to us my recordings to try and make a type of music and find the natural rhythms in nature. The article has helped me discover the many possibilities of sound in the natural world.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Response to my first SoundWalk
1. Were you able to find places and spaces where you could really listen?
A: Yes, although it was not easy to do. As our group walked through a small group of trees out into a little opening near the end of our sound walk it seemed to become easier to listen. This might have been do to the fact that a lot of the constant and far off sounds were being block by the trees.
A: Yes, although it was not easy to do. As our group walked through a small group of trees out into a little opening near the end of our sound walk it seemed to become easier to listen. This might have been do to the fact that a lot of the constant and far off sounds were being block by the trees.
2. Was it possible to move without making a sound?
A: No, there were times when I thought I was walking totally silent, but if i really listened to myself I could hear my shoes and cloths every so often. I'm sure there were times when I was not making any noise but it was brief.
3. What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them?
A: When I plugged my ears I tried my best to achieve complete silence and I felt I did a good job. My internal body noises became very present and almost amplified in my head. Once I unplugged them the outside sound hit me like a wall and I instantly started to try and identify all the sounds entering my head.
A: No, there were times when I thought I was walking totally silent, but if i really listened to myself I could hear my shoes and cloths every so often. I'm sure there were times when I was not making any noise but it was brief.
3. What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them?
A: When I plugged my ears I tried my best to achieve complete silence and I felt I did a good job. My internal body noises became very present and almost amplified in my head. Once I unplugged them the outside sound hit me like a wall and I instantly started to try and identify all the sounds entering my head.
4. In your sound log exercise, what types of sounds were you able to hear? List them.
A: I felt overwhelmed on my first sound walk because I was trying so hard to get everything written down because as I would be writing one thing down I would hear three new things. I heard a lot of day to day things, people talking, cars, music, etc. I was also able to pick out some sounds that usually go unnoticed by my ears: the buzz of power cables, crickets, plans overhead, and the wind in the trees. Full List Below
A: I felt overwhelmed on my first sound walk because I was trying so hard to get everything written down because as I would be writing one thing down I would hear three new things. I heard a lot of day to day things, people talking, cars, music, etc. I was also able to pick out some sounds that usually go unnoticed by my ears: the buzz of power cables, crickets, plans overhead, and the wind in the trees. Full List Below
5. Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place?
A:Yes, of course it was easier it recognize/decipher what the sound was and its source if I could see it happening. It was pretty easy to tell what direction the sound is coming from but not always what was making the sound if I could not see it.
A:Yes, of course it was easier it recognize/decipher what the sound was and its source if I could see it happening. It was pretty easy to tell what direction the sound is coming from but not always what was making the sound if I could not see it.
6. Human sounds? Mechanical sounds? Natural sounds?
A: At the beginning of our walk we went into the union which was total chaos with people talking and me just catching words, phrases, sentences of random groups which was all being over powered by the mechanical noise from the restaurants in the food court it was hard not to just listen to what was close or just not pay attention to the softer noises at all. After leaving the union and crossing a few streets, with mainly car/mechanical noise, we made our way to some quieter spots behind the dorms. Here the sound of sticks, dirt, leaves, bugs, and birds filled the air and it became easier to document everything.
A: At the beginning of our walk we went into the union which was total chaos with people talking and me just catching words, phrases, sentences of random groups which was all being over powered by the mechanical noise from the restaurants in the food court it was hard not to just listen to what was close or just not pay attention to the softer noises at all. After leaving the union and crossing a few streets, with mainly car/mechanical noise, we made our way to some quieter spots behind the dorms. Here the sound of sticks, dirt, leaves, bugs, and birds filled the air and it became easier to document everything.
7. Were you able to detect subtleties in the everpresent drone?
A: A good example of this is during the walk from the union to the dorms, with the drone of constant cars and machines, I was able to hear a basketball bouncing. I scanned for the source of the bouncing and i was able to just catch a glimpse of a boy across the street in the elementary school, or whatever that is, bouncing a ball. I know that if I would have just been walking on my own I probably would have never been able to pick out the sound of the ball.
A: A good example of this is during the walk from the union to the dorms, with the drone of constant cars and machines, I was able to hear a basketball bouncing. I scanned for the source of the bouncing and i was able to just catch a glimpse of a boy across the street in the elementary school, or whatever that is, bouncing a ball. I know that if I would have just been walking on my own I probably would have never been able to pick out the sound of the ball.
8. Extremely close sounds? Sounds coming from very far away?
A: The closest sound that I heard was the buzz of a bee as it flew inches from my ear. Instinctively I leaned back away from the bee but it was very loud before I leaned back. Sounds coming from far away were easier to hear in certain places. In the union, for instance with so much of the sounds coming from so close it was hard to hear sounds off in the distant. Yet when were where out behind the dorms I thought I could hear for miles.
A: The closest sound that I heard was the buzz of a bee as it flew inches from my ear. Instinctively I leaned back away from the bee but it was very loud before I leaned back. Sounds coming from far away were easier to hear in certain places. In the union, for instance with so much of the sounds coming from so close it was hard to hear sounds off in the distant. Yet when were where out behind the dorms I thought I could hear for miles.
9. What kinds of wind effects were you able to detect (for example, the leaves of trees don't make sounds until they are activated by the wind)?
A: Besides the leaves of the trees, there was the sound of a chain banging against a flag pole when the wind would blow. Another wind noise was the sound of the wind itself as it bounce of of buildings.
A: Besides the leaves of the trees, there was the sound of a chain banging against a flag pole when the wind would blow. Another wind noise was the sound of the wind itself as it bounce of of buildings.
10. Were you able to intervene in the urban landscape and create your own sounds by knocking on a resonant piece of metal, activating wind chimes, etc.?
A: No, I was to busy writing to try and manipulate the soundscape.
A: No, I was to busy writing to try and manipulate the soundscape.
11. Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape?
A: There is a lot more out there then I had originally thought. When you do an exercise like this it is impossible not to gain a greater understanding of the world around you, the depth of sounds created by humans, machines, and nature all fight against one another to reach our ears is pretty amazing.
A: There is a lot more out there then I had originally thought. When you do an exercise like this it is impossible not to gain a greater understanding of the world around you, the depth of sounds created by humans, machines, and nature all fight against one another to reach our ears is pretty amazing.
12. How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all?
A: In film making and especially beginning film making, good sound is hard to come by and this experience as opened my eyes and my ears. Everything that I could hear would have been picked up my a microphone. So its very important to listen to all noises around you and ask yourself "do I want that sound in my shot?"
A: In film making and especially beginning film making, good sound is hard to come by and this experience as opened my eyes and my ears. Everything that I could hear would have been picked up my a microphone. So its very important to listen to all noises around you and ask yourself "do I want that sound in my shot?"
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