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Journal Entry #5
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1.  2/27/14,  3:00pm, Hammer Lab

2.  Identify and list the sounds closest to you:

  • The clicking of my keyboard
  • My stomach churning
  • The vibration of my phone when receiving a text

3.  Identify the sounds at medium range from you:

  • The sound of wind against the window
  • The printers beeping and making noises
  • Various typing sounds

4.  Identify the sounds farthest from you:

  • A small conversation from the other corner of the room
  • The opening and closing of the far door

5.  Describe the general sound level and amount of sound activity:

The sound level is hushed but the activity is very high.  There are conversations and a lot of sounds happening but no one sound is dominating the space.

6.  Assign one word to describe the sound environment:

Hushes

7.  Select three sounds that are essential to the sound environment:

  • Keyboards
  • The printers
  • The conversation from across the room

Sound Journal #4 – Drounge
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1. The Drama Lounge, Thursday, February 20, 2014, 9:26 pm.

2. Identify sounds farthest from me: The outermost door to Emily Lowe makes a raucous slam as students go home for the night.

3. Identify sounds at medium range: Dance Teachers speak softly as they enter the building and go up to their offices. The sound of their footsteps grows fainter as they get further away from the drounge.

4. Identify sounds closest to me: Jess High types swiftly on her Mac and her nails make a soft tapping on the keys. Pedro is beside me, biting into an apple; he is consciously trying to be as inconspicuous with each bite as possible, as he intently watches League of Legends on his iPad. On my right side, Maya, Kristin and Jack are rehearsing a scene for Speech class in standard stage, making sure they’re off-book. Maya says one part of the dialogue, and Jack and Kristin say the other part in unison (probably because they both need to know that part), and they sound like the girls from The Shining.

5. General sound level and activity: It’s noisy in here, as always, with actors acting, others playing on their computer, watching videos, typing away as they do their homework.

6. Word to describe sound environment: Hectic.

7. Three sounds that complete the sound environment:
— The sound of Maya, Kristin and Jack rehearsing lines.
— Pedro’s League of Legends video and his apple.
— The soft tapping of the keys on Jess’s keyboard.

Field Recording #2 – Wind and Rain
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This field recording is taken inside our greenhouse; it’s basically a screened in porch, the windows don’t fully close so, although it’s freezing, it’s really awesome for listening for new sounds. I captured the sound of the wind and rain dripping off the roof of the greenhouse. It’s subtle, but as mentioned in my sound journal, the snow really creates a hush. It’s a quiet night and the rain is very soothing. Have a listen!

Sound Journal #3 – Snow Day
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1. Thursday, February 13, 2014, 8:22 pm, Outside my house.

2. Identify sounds farthest from you: I am sitting on the front steps of my house and I can hear cars driving down the wet street — their tires naturally louder due to the road condition; and a plane engine up above that, in combination with the wind, sounds like it might take down the house.

3. Identify sounds at medium range: A person is walking down the sidewalk outside my house, he is moving slowly, carefully, trying not to slip and fall. He drags his boots down the sidewalk, occasionally trekking in the snow or into the street because some neighbor didn’t shovel in front of their house (rude), the soft snow absorbs the sound of his footsteps.

4. Identify sounds closest to me: The wind blows with such force that the street signs tremble, making a metallic sound akin to the thunder sheet. It has started to rain again, so I’m running inside, but the sound of the rain is absorbed as it falls into the piles of snow on the sides of our driveway and sidewalk. The wind blows the rain against the house and it taps rapidly against the sideboards. From the inside of the house,  the wind blows the rain against my bedroom window, too; the tapping on the glass is a louder, more echo-y sound than against the siding.

5. Level of sound activity: Despite the strong wind and the rain that has begun to come down, there is an overall hush due to the snow. There aren’t as many cars driving by because people have chosen to stay indoors and the snow really absorbs a lot of the everyday sounds I’m used to. I’d say the level of sound activity is probably medium due to this.

6. One word to describe sound environment: Windy.

7. Three sounds that make the sound environment: The cars driving further down the street, the strong wind against the street signs, and the rain tapping against the house.

Journal Entry #2 – Bits N Bytes
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1. Friday, February 7, 9:56 am. Bits N Bytes.

2. The sounds farthest from me:  The clamor of dishes in the kitchen as they’re being washed. There is also the high-pitched squeaking of the toaster, continuously rotating, without any bagels to heat.

3. The sounds at medium range: I can hear the faint murmur of people talking over breakfast. Behind me, the TV is playing an infomercial about the government.

4. Closest to me, a person beside me flips through their notebook, I can hear the pages turning as they study their notes. They open and close the rings of their binder, getting themselves organized for the day. The whirring of the fans spinning above me is the most soothing of all the sounds I hear.

5. Sound activity: The combination of the TV, which is actually turned up quite loud, in comparison to the lack of human activity in Bits currently is a little overwhelming. The constant squeak of the toaster seems to drown out any hope of concentration.

6. Word for the sound environment: Inactive.

7. Sounds essential to environment:

– Soft talking of colleagues
– High-pitched squeal of the toaster behind me.
– Loud, opinionated television.

 

My field recording is of the sink on the second floor of my house, I am in the downstairs bathroom when I record the sound. It is to reiterate the distraction that is the everyday noises of my house on Front Street from last week.