Soundwalk

2009-02-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

SOUNDWALK MAP

SOUND BODY MAP

SOUNDWALK NOTES

1. Were you able to find places and spaces where you could really listen?

Yes, although there was a lot of background noise, I still managed somehow to listen through it almost.

2. Was it possible to move without making a sound?

Not really, there was always some sort of swishing by my coat or pants. Sometimes my own sounds were drowned out by the wind and constant noise, so did they really happen? Haha

3. What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them?

My listening was turned inward when I plugged my ears, I could only hear my pulse and breathing, and the occasional whistling of my nose. When I unplugged them, I noticed more sounds, as if by starting in a low sound environment, and gradually increasing sound, you will hear more.

4. What types of sounds were you able to hear? List them.

I heard lots and lots of sounds, predominantly talking and laughing by people, footsteps, swishing from winter coats, and wind. Cars and buses were also prevalent, along with an airplane, a helicopter, and some snifflers. Squeaky doors, doors slamming, shoes squeaking, a piano, a bike, a saw also made an appearance.

5. Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place?

For the most part, yes. There were some random sounds that I couldn't place, but that didn't happen very often.

6. Were you able to differentiate human, mechanical, and natural sounds?

Yes, there weren't too many noises that came close to sounding like it could have come from two different sources.

7. Were you able to detect subtleties, changes, or variations in the everpresent drone?

Yes, occasionally in the Union, the drone from the people seemed to lessen and rise, although it didn't change much, just a lot of talking, yelling, and laughing.

8. Extremely close sounds? Sounds coming from very far away?

When we were standing in the room with our eyes closed, it was difficult to tell the distance, it could be a soft noise nearby, or just a noise far away. When we were out walking around, it was easy to determine distance just by looking for/at it.

9. Were you able to intervene in the urban landscape and create your own sounds by knocking on a resonant piece of metal, activating wind chimes, etc.?

I didn't do anything deliberate, but when I opened a door or quick put my hand on it to stop it from smacking me, it made a sound, and I suppose you could consider that intervening.

10. Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape?

I believe so, yes. There iss so much sound in an urban environment that you just sort of ignore it. I never actually listened for things through all the noise, and I was happy with what I found.

11. How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all?

I've learned how much sound can add to media. By putting a certain sound in a certain point in a film, it has the potential to alter the mood of the film, and ultimately the viewer. As for photography, it won't do much for the viewer, but for the photographer, sound can influence how he/she takes the picture and what the subject is. By paying more attention to sound, I can make my productions that much better.

Jason Greely's Drift Atlas

Soundwalk