Date: March 11, 2022
Location and Time: 6th floor of the Axinn Library, 2:37pm
Far sounds: wind wooshing, cars driving on the turnpike
Medium sounds: air conditioner running, chairs scraping the floor
Close sounds: typing, pen scratching on paper, soft breathing
Sound Level: Very quiet, library level
One word: Focused
Most important sounds: typing, pen scratching, AC running
Date: February 27, 2022
Location and Time: The Joan and Donald Schaeffer Black Box Theater, 1:50 pm
Far Sounds: Muffled chatter of audience members sitting farther away from me, the faint pinging of a sound effect from the show, a phone falling out of someone’s pocket and hitting the ground
Medium Sounds: Clanging of seats as people were getting settled, Sigma Capella’s ICCA set playing on a phone a few rows ahead of me, Avery, Ben, and Cindy talking, someone coughing
Close Sounds: Joey speaking to me, footsteps of people approaching seats
Sound Description/Level: Light, casual pre-show chatter, not too noisy
One Word: Cheery
Most Important Sounds: People talking, accapella music, jingling of seats
Sunday, February 27th, 2:36pm
Location: The breakfast nook at Jane Street
Far Sounds: A car speeding on the main road, The Dixie Chicks playing in Lizzy’s room, the wind making the branches creak, trash bags rustling in the wind
Medium Sounds: The dryer going, a metal button scraping in the dryer, Tori and Arianna laughing and talking, a car with a loud muffler driving by my house, doors creaking open and close, the wind whistling up against the windows, someone listening to country in the upstairs bathroom
Close sounds: My phone playing “More Than This” by One Direction, the mesh screen hitting the window, Tori and Arianna pouring water in the kitchen, chair creaking underneath me, radiator blowing out hot air in the bathroom
Sound Description/Level: Loud but quiet, the only constant sound is the dryer going. It is like I am trying to focus on all of these sounds at once but they all happen so quickly. Sometimes all the sounds can be heard at once, but sometimes it is only the dryer that is going
One Word Description: Sporadic
Most important sounds: The mesh screen hitting on the window, Tori and Arianna laughing, metal button scraping in the dryer, chair creaking
February 27th, 10:08 AM
Location: The couch in my bedroom, facing the open door toward the living room
Farthest: An airplane flying overhead, a car driving by, Anna playing music in her room far down the hallway behind her closed door, Anna’s metal garland pattering against her door as it swings open
Medium: Andrew’s loud footsteps as he walks between his room and the kitchen across the wood floor in the hallway, Andrew rolling a suitcase across the kitchen tiles, the low hum of the refrigerator, Anna sneezing, Andrew saying bless you
Closest: Andrew’s door slowly creaking open, his metal sign hitting the door as it closes, my stomach grumbling
General sound level: There is a low but constant noise as the baseline in this environment, especially with the music playing; it feels like there is a chaos contained to the point where it feels calm from the outside
Sound environment: Contained
Defining sounds: Andrew’s footsteps across the hallway floor, the music playing behind Anna’s closed door, the suitcase rolling over the tiles
Date: February 23rd, 2022
Location and Time: Student Center, 11:07 am
Far Sounds: Metal lids clanging onto pots, espresso machine steaming, beeping of Starbucks ovens, ice pouring into cups, door closing, chip bag crinkling open, Starbucks drink being shaken in a shaker/ice rattling against the plastic shaker, light jazz music playing in Starbucks lounge
Medium sounds: Chairs scraping on floor, laptop keys clacking, keys jangling, unwrapping of plastic utensils, group of friends laughing, shuffling of feet on the floor, jacket zipping closed
Close sounds: Michelle and Mackenzie discussing our script ideas, trash bin rolling across the ground, group of friends talking behind me, chair slamming on ground, jacket being placed on back of chair, backpack unzipping, popping of container opening
Sound Description/Level: Very loud, distracting, difficult to pinpoint a specific sound on its own/constant overlapping of sounds
One Word: Cacophony
Most Important Sounds: Michelle and Mackenzie discussing, light jazz music in the Starbucks lounge, groups of friends talking behind me
Date: February 24th, 2022
Location & Time: Bits & Bytes, 7:59pm
Far sounds: People cleaning tables, keys jingling, voices coming through walkie-talkies
Medium sounds: Chairs scraping the floor, people talking at tables
Close sounds: ceiling fan whirling, typing, air conditioner running
Sound description/level: What you might expect to find in a cafe or other public place at night; not deserted but not busy. The sound is clear but not overwhelming.
One word for the “sound environment”: suburban
Important sounds: talking, fans whirling, AC running
February 11th, 3:24 PM
Location: My house’s upstairs living room, on the couch facing the front of the house
Farthest: Car engines revving, a slow siren, a motorcycle revving, a car horn
Medium: Downstairs washing machine spinning and clanking (getting louder, speeding up, then stopping, repeatedly), cars driving past the window in front of me, kids shouting in front of the house, the downstairs’ door keypad being entered, the door opening and hitting the wall, a person downstairs walking into the kitchen and then turning on the kitchen sink
Closest: My phone vibrating against the couch, my Fitbit vibrating, the refrigerator humming loudly for spurts of time
General sound level: The environment feels cyclical, with bursts of sound coming in and out, before coming back into a stillness, and then repeating
Sound environment: Unsettled
Defining sounds: The washing machine clanking, the refrigerator humming loudly, and the cars driving by the front window
Date: February 11th, 2022
Location and Time: Hempstead, NY (home) 3:24pm
Far Sounds: Car coming to a screeching stop, Hofstra bus driving around campus, car driving by my house, the house creaking from someone moving around upstairs, car engines revving at set of lights that are close by my house, police siren, someone honking their horn, truck backing up
Medium Sounds: People throwing wood on top of other wood, construction car moving, people talking about construction, front door closing, Mishka (dog) running down the stairs, wind chimes from my next door neighbors chimes, geese flying over, fire department alarm that is going off that sounds like the world is ending
Close Sounds: Leaves rustling on the ground, wind making the branches on the trees shake, tree sounding creaky, birds chirping in the trees, someone dropping stuff off in the kitchen, wind making the screen door shake and hit into the sliding glass window
Sound Description/Level: calm, this is what it normally sounds like outside, especially with the wind. Very homey vibes and relaxing
One Word: serene
Most Important Sounds: Leaves rustling, wind chimes going, car engine revving, wood being thrown on top of other wood, end of the world sounding alarm going off
Date: February 11, 2022
Location and Time: ABP on Hofstra Campus, 3:05 pm
Far Sounds: clanging of replacing soup containers, ABP door squeaking open, bathroom door opening (heavier metal sound)
Medium Sounds: Sounds from video playing on woman’s phone sitting at a table farther away, plastic bottle dropping on the ground, keys clanging
Close Sounds: rustling unwrapping of sandwich paper, pair of people sitting at booth to my right talking, laughing, and signing, radio music playing over speaker, chair scooting closer to table, Nicole talking, me chewing (internal), twisting water bottle open and closed, metal water bottle hitting and sliding on the table, Nicole’s fingers tapping on table, my feet tapping on the floor
Sound Description/Level: Fairly loud, though there aren’t that many people in here they are engaged in enthusiastic conversations, the music is playing quite audibly
One Word: Lively
Most Important Sounds: Music, people talking, and doors opening/closing
Date: February 11th, 2022
Location and Time: Hempstead, NY (home), 2:08pm
Far sounds: wind blowing through the tree, neighbor talking on phone, car passing on the street, leaves rustling/falling outside, car horn honking, front door creaking open, alarm system saying “front door”, front door locking
Medium sounds: refrigerator humming, thumping of feet upstairs, side door being unlocked and opened, side door being shut, lock beeping, door locking, creaking upstairs, refridgerator making a “ting” sound,
Close sounds: typing on a laptop keyboard, Michelle and Avery talking, laptop closing shut, backpack being zipped up, bag being set down, jacket being put on, bedroom door being shut, phone vibrating with notifications
Sound Description/Level: relatively calm, this is the normal soundscape of our home, quiet and cozy
One Word: settled
Most Important Sounds: Michelle and Avery talking, typing on laptop, doors being open and shut