Hofstra Drama 20 – Sound for the Theatre

Location: My dorm room by the windowsill facing the street

Sounds Heard: cars driving by on the road in front of the Netherlands, low hum from the heater

W 55th st & 10th ave NYC

City sounds, horse walking on pavement, carriage wheels, car horn, horse snorting, people talking, wind

Sound Observation #3

1. 2/18/2015 – 6:00pm – Cutting Fenders for Wheel Space (Working on a Car)

2. farthest: buzz from ceiling light, dog barking inside house, timer ticking for sprinklers

3. medium: small pieces of fender tapping the cement ground, large pieces of plastic fender falling to the ground, tires rolling on cement, hammer hitting car parts, car parts squeaking when moved, metal bolts clanging when tightened or loosened, sawzall cutting into plastic, grunting/cursing

4. closest: nose sniffles from cold air, classic rock playing from a laptop, phone ringing with notifications, coughing

5. sound level varied depending on the tools being used and sound activity was generally medium.

6. one word description: aggressive

7. three sounds: grunting/cursing, sawzall cutting into plastic, buzz from ceiling light

1- February 25th, 2014, 6:20pm, Hempstead Turnpike

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

Furthest away from me, I can hear the sounds of cars passing by and some honking going on because we’re in New York and that’s what everyone does.

3- Identify and list the sounds at a medium range from you.

At medium range from me, I can hear the sounds of my feet crunching the snow as I’m walking down the sidewalk.

4- Identify and list the sounds closest to you (You can include internal sounds if noticed or relevant).

Closest to me, I can hear the sound of the wind rushing through my ears and around my body as I struggle to make my way through the cold back to campus.

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

The sound level is very overwhelming. The wind doesn’t feel good against my skin and the sound hurts my ears. The cars rush past at scary speeds and their sounds are not always heard until they’re on top of you.

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

Overwhelming

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.

Three sounds which are essential to the sound environment are the sounds of the cars passing by, the crunching of the snow under my feet, and the wind rushing around and deafening out everything around me.

3/9/13 Outside the Netherlands

Cars, Wind, Rain running off buildings

1)3/14/13 5:45 p.m, parking lot outside of the Netherlands

2)  Footsteps of people crossing the street, talking of people crossing the street

3)  Jingling of keys, more footsteps as people approach, the door to the bridge opening and closing

4) The squeak of the turnstile, more people talking, the cars passing by, honking

5) The sound activity is high, it is loud

6) Busy

7) The cars, the turnstile, and the footsteps

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.

1- Walking around campus on Sunday afternoon
2- Cars driving by, plane over head
3- Birds chirping
4- My footsteps, ipod playing in ears
5- The general sound level medium and amount of sound activity low
6- Calm
7- Cars driving by, footsteps, and music playing.

Due: 3/23

Field Recording

19th & 6th

Cars driving by, people talking

Location: Oak Street

Sounds heard: You can hear me walking, the wind, and cars whizzing by for a while, then you hear birds chirping. Finally an airplane flies overhead, you can hear the low sound and the whistling noise it makes as it goes directly over me.