1. Thursday, February 27, 4:30-6:30pm, Applebee’s.

2. Identify the sounds farthest from you: In the distance, there is the faint clatter of dishes from the kitchen. Upon over arrival, the restaurant is fairly empty; a general, low murmur of conversation fills the air.

3. Identify the sounds at a medium range from you: Twice while here, the Applebee’s staff comes out to sing their rendition of “Happy Birthday,” in order to avoid copyright issues. Interesting that this is so relevant to our discussions in class right now. Their version is particularly interesting. Note one of my field recordings, “Applebee’s 2”, to hear part of it. There is an older couple speaking to who appears to be the manager. They must have had bad service or something because I can hear him offering them a bottle of wine. Waiters take orders from tables near by, mentioning the 2-for-1 drink specials to avoid giving away a free appetizer (if they don’t mention one of the drinks, you get a free app). The music in the restaurant is somewhat loud considering it was 4:30 when we got
here and it was empty; it becomes less noticeable as the restaurant fills with more customers, and thus, a louder undertone of general murmuring.

4. Identify the sounds closest to you: Sam and I are chatting, enjoying our appetizers: the crunch of the chips, the knife scraping the plate as she cuts her boneless wings in half, the rustle of the paper that lines the basket of the sampler, the crunch of a celery stalk, a sip of beer, and the sound of the glass being placed back on the table. A phone vibrating on the table top.

5. Describe the general sound level/activity: Progressively more noisy as the dinner rush comes in and the music plays, from a speaker above our table, I’ve noticed. The undertone of general talking makes the sound level louder, busier.

6. Word to describe sound environment: Lively.

7: Three sounds vital to sound environment: Music playing above us, undertone of talking, rustling and crunching as we eat our appetizer sampler.