Daily Archives: February 7, 2014

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.

Sound Journal #2
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1- DATE-TIME-LOCATION

  • Friday, February 7th, 2014. 8:42 AM, My living room.

2- Identify and list the sounds farthest away from you.

• Garbage truck starting and stopping on the next block
• Gentle hum of the wind
• Television coming from another room, set on a very high volume

3- Identify and list the sounds at a medium range from you.
• Foot  steps clonking as my neighbors make a mad-dash for the train station.
• The bell on my cat’s collar ringing as he prances around the house
• Cars rushing past behind me

4- Identify and list the sounds closest to you (You can include internal sounds if noticed or relevant).
• The gentle hum of my laptop
• The bell on my cat’s collar ringing as he prances around the house
• Another cat breathing as she sleeps soundly
• My mother singing Les Mis, horribly.

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

The general sound level is at a medium, half the people in my family are not present- but the loudest two are here. The amount of sound activity is decent, its at this time that the house is quiet enough to hear all the sounds my cats make, which is a lot.

6- Assign a one word description to the “sound environment”.
Free

7- Select and list 3 sounds which are essential to the sound environment.
• The television
• The rattling of my cat’s bell collar
• The birds chirping

Sound Journal #2 Laundry Night
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1. 2/6/2014, 8:00 PM, Vander Poel Hall laundry room

2. Identify the sounds farthest from you: The medium sound of all of the machines does a pretty good job droning out distant sounds, but I can definitely hear the two squeaky doors opening and closing now that the girl who was in here with me is leaving.  The heavy thud of the door to the laundry room has a secure weight to it.  Before each door, I can hear the girl’s slippers shuffling along.

3. Identify the sounds at medium range: The combination of the 6 washers and 6 dryers ALL working at the same time creates a chorus sounding like a small factory.  The washers have more of a spinning and shaking sound, and the two rows of stacked dryers all tremble together.  They would probably shake more wildly if they stood alone, but on top of and next to one another, they are more contained.  I can hear that they are all working together to make the room VERY warm.  On days when I am not doing a sound journal, I try to be in and out of this room because it is loud and hot, although I have attempted to read in here and definitely taken a phone call or two in the past.  In the one of the dryers further from where I’m standing, I can hear a button or zipper consistently scratching the inside of one of the machines.

4. Identify the sounds closest to you: Even with all the noise, I can hear my feet on the floor as I transfer my weight from one foot to the other and change how I am standing.  Like my laundry comrade who has left for now, I am wearing my “in the dorm” Ugg boots; they are very old and have a distinct shuffling sound to them.  If I really try I can hear myself breathing, but I have to intensify my breath to do so.  I can certainly hear myself crack my knuckles.  The sound doesn’t get swallowed up by the medium range, but rather stands out because it is so different in comparison.

5. General sound level and activity:  This room is expectedly loud.  It isn’t painfully noisy or particularly annoying, but it has a general loudness to it.  The sound of all the machines working together is like an unorganized round of some tune they all have learned the exact same way.  The air circulation seems to mimic the general sound level, and the heat and general sound seem to go hand-in-hand.

6. One word to describe the sound environment: operational

7. 3 essential sounds to the sound environment: 

-The shaking and spinning of the washers

-The tremble of the stacks of dryers

-The squeaky doors opening and closing

Sound Journal #2
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1- DATE-TIME-LOCATION of the sound environment
Thursday, February 6th, 2014 5:31P EST Nassau Room 602C Hempstead, NY

2- Identify and list the sounds farthest away from you.
• Multitudes of cars of varying makes, models, and states of mechanical wellness passing on Front St
• Occasional gust of wind against tree branches
• the shrill chirp of an alarm near the ROTC barracks

3- Identify and list the sounds at a medium range from you.
• Hollow-sounding footsteps coming from the hallway
• Suitemate and his impressive surround-sound entertainment system, watching a nondescript movie
• Wind whining against the brick exterior of the building

4- Identify and list the sounds closest to you (You can include internal sounds if noticed or relevant).
• A color-changing light in the shape of a cactus cycling thru its color scheme
• Soft hum of Christmas lights
• Laptop Whirr
• Finger strokes against a keyboard

5- Describe the general sound level and amount of sound activity.
The atmosphere is calm. The general amount of sound activity is low, yet strikes a fine balance between thought-provoking and insignificant.

6- Assign a one word description to the “sound environment”.
Sharp

7- Select and list 3 sounds which are essential to the sound environment.
• Cactus Light
• ROTC Alert
• Trees rattling in the breeze

Field Recording #1
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Location: Vander Poel Parking Lot (10:00 pm Thursday, February 6th)

Sounds Heard: Me stomping through the frozen parking lot and getting into my little Ford Fusion. Featured sounds: My boots crunching through the icy surface of the snow, keys, car door opening and closing, the seat belt reminder, my seat belt buckling, engine starting, radio turning on.

Sound Journal #2
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1- DATE-TIME-LOCATION of the sound environment
>Friday, February 7th
>2:30 A.M.
>Study Lounge, 6th floor of Nassau Residence Building

2- Identify and list the sounds farthest away from you.
>Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal playing all the way down the hall.
>A first responder’s siren lightly pulsing a few blocks aWay.
>Footsteps approaching from down the hall.
>Trash being thrown away down the hall. It contain glass. I hope they recycle.

3- Identify and list the sounds at a medium range from you.
>The couple making out in the room next to me.
>A very bass-filled male voice vibrating the wall.
>A t.v. playing in the room next to me.

4- Identify and list the sounds closest to you (You can include internal sounds if noticed or relevant).
>The heating unit that clanks and chinks every 23 seconds.
>The buzz of the light that seems to overpower everything.
>The cracking of my big toe.
>The sound of the couple hitting against the wall behind me as they make out.

5- Describe the general sound level and amount of sound activity.
>Sound level is at a filling dull roar.
>Sound activity can best be described as casual and lightly paced.

6- Assign a one word description to the “sound environment”.
>Alive

7- Select and list 3 sounds which are essential to the sound environment.
>The heating unit.
>The couple hitting against the wall
>The muffled television.