Monthly Archives: February 2013
Journal Entry #2
1- 02/04/2013
9:40pm
Mineola Train Station
I am sitting on a bench near a curb under a bridge. Many streets surround me.
2- Sounds farthest away: A clicking noise that sounds like a cricket chirping but clearly is not, must be a far off machine or an alarm that refuses to turn off. A solitary laugh, the slightest hint of conversation which lasts very little.
3- Sounds at medium range: Occasional car slams and honks, random squeaks and sputters from driving. Nothing consistent or constant.
4- Sounds closest to you: Cars whiz by and start off relatively far away but then reach middle range and eventually become the sounds closest to me when they pass behind me.
5- Describe the general sound level and amount of sound activity: It would be completely silent if it were not for the cars and alarm. The sound level is hauntingly low and any sound activity only occurs in sporadic spurts. The lack of sound creates a solitary environment that is extremely unsettling. Very much like what I would imagine the sound environment to be like in a scary movie before something horrible is going to happen.
6- One word description to the “sound environment”: Eerie.
7- 3 sounds essential to the sound environment: Clicking alarm, cars whizzing past, the solitary laugh.
Journal # 2
1) 2/7/13 6:51 P.M Hallways in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
2) Cars, general highway noise
3) Girls voices, keys jingling
4) A television show, people laughing, talking, music
5) A little on the loud side, but otherwise pretty level
6) Lively
7) The T.V, the people laughing, and the music
Field Recording #1
Identify the location of the clip – I recorded this clip in the lobby of the Spiegel just before the beginning of pie night. There was a large group standing around waiting to be let in and someone bumped the lights and made creepy noises.
Identify the sounds heard in the clip – In this clip one can hear the large amount of activity and anticipation that comes in the minutes before a Cabaret night begins in the Spiegel. It begins with a smattering of conversations and yelling across the room and then one can hear the moment in which the lights go out and one student begins to make a rather odd, non humanlike noise that cuts through the room and causes a few people to scream. As people begin to figure out what is going they begin to laugh. Encouraged by laughter, the boy continues to make extreme noises and show everyone this “astonishing” talent he possesses.
Field Recording 1
Journal Entry 2
1- Feb 6, 10:10pm, Republic Hall dorm room
2- Footsteps down the hallway, the occasional door opening/closing, the inconsistent clink of the washer/dryer across the hall
3- Soundtrack and effects of a videogame (Skyrim), slightly garbled conversation between a few guys, the jingling of a key ring being played with
4- Guitar strumming/tapping and tuning, the occasional squeak of the stings, intermittent breaths of the person sitting next to me
5- The sound level is medium-low; everyone is lazily occupied with their own tasks but keeping an eye on what’s happening on screen – the activity is at a low buzz
6- Lax (Relaxed)
7- Guitar noises (strumming, tapping, etc), the sound effects of the videogame, garbled conversation/chatter
Field Recording 1
Location: On the subway ride back from working in the city.
Sounds heard in the clip: The song heard by the singing men on the subway is called “Ride This Train” and it is a gospel hymn originally sung by The Canton Spirituals. Aside from their voices, which I think gives the original version a run for their money, the subway whistling can be heard faintly in the background as well as a cough and a “Bless you dear” for when I gave them some money.
Here’s an example of the original version if you like the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JalPneHDcaU
Journal #2
1- 2/4/13 – 4:24 PM – Unispan
2- Identify and list the sounds farthest away from you. – Furthest away from me, down at the bottom of the ramp I could hear the low roar of the people and activities in the student center. There was a distinct echo and more hollow noise that one could imagine from a gymnasium. The volume of activity combined with high ceilings creates a chamber for noise to get trapped in.
3- Identify and list the sounds at a medium range from you. – Within a medium range of me I could hear the activity of the many people on the unispan going from residential to academic. There were few discernible conversations going on, one girl passed speaking in Chinese while another student walked through advertising to others about the Jewish club on campus. I could never hear a full conversation or even sentence; just brief words. Tiny, one word, snippets of conversation is all I could ever pick up. “Martha – smoking – my alarm – UPS was late” As I focused in even further into these sounds around me on the unispan I began to pick up the distinct sound of the occasional student shuffling their feet. Every so often I could hear someone walk by that was just a little bit too tired to actually lift their feet while they walked and I could hear the scraping noise as their shoes slid across the concrete floor. As I sat there with my eyes closed, I began to try to decipher whether the person passing me was a male or female simply by the way their feet hit the ground. 4 out of 5 times I was correct, somehow I was able to pick up on the very subtle differences, I think it had to do with the higher and cheaper sound “Uggs” make when the hit the ground as opposed to the more solid construction of most men’s shoes. Men also seemed to have a larger gait with a more spaced out step than the girls did.
4- Identify and list the sounds closest to you (You can include internal sounds if noticed or relevant). – Closest to me I could hear the wind whistling through the small cracks in the window behind me. I could also feel the deep vibration of the bridge traveling through the hand rail and if I focused in on it hard enough it seemed to have a low rumble or roar to it.
5- Describe the general sound level and amount of sound activity. – Overall there are noises coming at me from all 360 degrees around me. All sounds are at a reasonable level with the exception of the occasional loud student. The loudest noises are the ones at a middle range from me. The noises from the student center were only a soft noise in the background and the immediate sounds were almost non existent.
6- Assign a one word description to the “sound environment”. – Comatose
7- Select and list 3 sounds which are essential to the sound environment. Note: you need to try and figure out what sounds make up this environment and which of those sounds need to be there for the feeling of the environment to stay intact. – Foot shuffle, deep rumble of the bridge, small pieces of speech
Journal Entry #2
1. Tuesday, February 5 – 8:46 PM – Studio
2. Lee typing on the computer, bad rap playing on Lee’s computer on shuffle, then a movie trailer playing
3. The flipping of paper, Noah’s pencils (both the scratching of the pencils on his paper, and the ‘clunk’ of the pencils whenever he puts one down)
4. The heater right above me, on full blast, but starting to slow down
5. The sound level is fairly low, and there is not a lot of sound. The hum of the heater is the only constant sound that’s always heard, with a handful of other sounds floating in and out. The sound from Lee’s computer also fluctuates as the music and trailer build and fall in intensity.
6. Calm
7. The heater, the scratching of the pencils, the quiet music
Journal Entry #2
1) 2/4/13, 7:28pm, Calkins Dance Studio, Antony and Cleopatra rehearsal
2) Air vents, vibrations from cars outside
3) Actors laughing, Kolb explaining Shakespeare, Scripts Rustling, whispering, pencil tapping against table
4) Typing, Phil’s script pages turning, phone vibrating
5) The sound level is medium, noisy but not overwhelmingly loud.
6) Attentive
7) Kolb, Scripts, actors laughing