Were you able to find places and spaces where you could really listen?
- Given this opportunity to exercise my sense of hearing, I was able to put myself in a position where I was constantly listening to the places and spaces encountered. I paid no attention to scenery or visuals during the walk, which made listening much easier.
Was it possible to move without making a sound?
- It is impossible to move without making a sound. Between the papers I was writing on and the sound of my shoes walking, I had to allow my natural sounds to occur. Even though I created sound by moving, it was an insignificant noise when compared to other sounds encountered.
What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them?
- I noticed that after I unplugged my ears, the sound slowly changed intensity in the first few seconds. At first, the sounds were still muffled and hard to distinguish, but after my ears were open to the space again it became much easier to hear. It was an interesting effect with dynamics that my body was able to create.
What types of sounds were you able to hear? List them. If your original notes are legible, and include all of the sounds you heard, then simply link to the scanned image(s). If not, retype them so that we can read them.
Find answer here.
Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place?
- During my soundwalk, many sounds were familiar or recognizable. I could identify many different car sounds. There were also a great deal of unrecognizable sounds coming from the parking garage, Mitchell Hall, and even when walking outside.
Were you able to differentiate human, mechanical, and natural sounds?
- This was one of easier tasks to perform during the walk. Out of the three categories, I believe mechanical sounds were the most common and powerful. Nature did produce a good amount of sound during the walk, but it was much more subtle. Human sounds were present, but I tried to ignore most of the talking I could hear.
Were you able to detect subtleties, changes, or variations in the ever-present drone?
- The setting was very important to the droning sounds. In the parking garage, the drones were deeper and much easier to hear. Outside, without walls closing us in, the droning was further in the distance and harder to hear. The dynamics were easy to identify when stepping from outside to inside.
Extremely close sounds? Sounds coming from very far away?
- Sounds coming from far away were easier to hear the higher the pitch. Sounds like bells, chains, and horns could be heard from a further distance. A slow hum or vibrating from a machine is more audible the closer you stand to the object.
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 explored a few textures that I had never noticed before during walks. A gritty piece of plastic scratched against my figures- a sound must have been created. I felt a large machine creating a loud hum, I think my touch quieted the sound as I muffled the vibrations.
Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape?
- I have always had an appreciation for sound, but never as raw as this experience. Pure, natural sounds are obvious and ever present in daily life. I am sure the sounds change with the different settings, which I am now inspired to explore and capture.
How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all?
- It introduced me to an entirely new art concept. I never imagined a passion for sound, recording, collecting, and mixing could be combined to create such an incredible experience. This will change the way I remember images, sounds, and feelings in a much more accurate way.
