Essay #3 (Extra Credit)

Aural Architecture and Music

Aural Architecture encompasses everything to do with the way sound reacts to a space and even the emotional or social purpose of why the sound responds the way it does in a given environment. More specifically, it is the “design, arrangement and manipulation of the physical properties of a space” (Blesser and Salter 1). Those who study this art are usually the individuals who design concert halls and sporting arenas, because they want to create a near perfect space for the events taking place. Sound does more than just allow us to reason spatially; it also elicits emotional sensations that only our ears can bring to us. 

There can be “social meaning” (Blesser and Salter 3) behind the design choices of a space as well, because in what world would we not want the sound of an action movie to not fill the entire movie theater? Sometimes this meaning can be unintentional, because most architects “exclusively consider the visual aspects of a structure” (Blesser and Salter 1). I like to relate this thought to vocal musicians who engage in DYI recordings, because beginners often choose poor environments to record their lyrics. Their chops could be outstanding, but a room with poor acoustics and an overly sensitive microphone can turn off listeners in a heartbeat because they’ve experienced unprofessional aesthetics. Relating back to the reading, spaces are what truly give sound their bravado and the average person isn’t attuned to realize this. I especially try to wire my brain to focus in on sound when I’m doing personal recordings because I see countless artists not take it into consideration. The space you choose to do your work will set a tone for listeners, so it is very important that you examine your environment every chance you get.

Rant (Final Cut)

The Thing About Religion

For years, I have always wondered why some people are so adamant about religion and why it's an excuse for others to be belittled or even tormented. The construct of monotheism will probably never really go away, but I'm just here to make my statement about what irks me when it comes to religious doctrine and not about whether or not gods are real. The subject matter may offend some of you, but I'm only using facts to assert my contentions with world religions. Enjoy!

MP3

WAV

Rant Length: 1:57

Final Edit

Final Rant Edit 

.mp3
.wav

Length: 0:30

Rant Edit Rough

.mp3

.wav

Interview (finished edit)

"Interview With My Father"

Subject: Coming from Detroit and eventually moving to Wisconsin

Length: 4:00

.wav: click here

.mp3: click here

EQ Chart

Unnamed

Unnamed Sound Assignment

Length: 0:23

Unnamed

Field Recording/Drift Project

Drift Strategy

I love going for long walks, but I didn't want to end up going too far away from the neighborhood I was familiar with. Whenever I heard a police siren, I decided to investigate the area I was currently in. If I was near an intersection that had a red light, I would go inside the nearest building. If there was a green light, I would record outside. If there were no traffic lights, I would wait a few more seconds so I could listen for cars. If I heard a car, I would stay outside. If I did not hear a car, I would go inside the nearest building.

Field Recordings:

1) Nature Walk

Length: 1:10

Notes: This entire audio recording is actually an overlay of two tracks that were taken one right after the other. Essentially, I was out early one morning for this recording and I was able to pick up beautiful bird songs and natural audio. Soon after, I walked by my apartment and ran into a homeless man looking for food/work. Though the conversation was interesting, I decided that it wasn't good enough to stand on its own. Now we have this audio!

2) The Depths

Length: 1:20

Notes: This was taken in the UWM Union Parking Garage. At first, I decided that this area was too far away from my drift route to investigate but I knew that the space would offer some interesting sounds regardless. I walked down a short flight of stairs into the structure and picked up a strange bass hum that added a dynamic atmosphere to tether the footsteps and spontaneous car sounds all into one eerie recording.

3) Coffee?

Length: 1:17

Notes: In accordance with my drift strategy, I was led into a small coffee shop during my field recording. Inside there was some relaxing music and half a dozen unfinished screenplays. I thought the clinking and shuffling of coffee mugs and customers made this recording just interesting enough to post.

MAP OF THE EAST SIDE:

Essay #1

Essay #1 (Clip 3) 

In this clip, the focus of most of the sounds heard are of metallic or electronic nature. This results in a very strange, unnatural aesthetic which creates multiple moments of tension. Within the first ten seconds of this snippet, a loud buzz pierces the silence which causes the listeners to react similarly to how the character experiencing it would. This sound was followed by abrupt pain or discomfort for the subject, so it seems Tati wanted the listeners to feel just as "shocked" or startled as the character did when he touched the electrifying object.  

At the conclusion of this segment, silverware clanking against fine china can be heard outside. It's very quiet compared to the buzz, so it's occupying a space beyond our immediate view of the kitchen to convey how quiet it really is on the inside. This juxtaposition, while the subject browses the room for something, builds tension, because it was previously established that he has no clue what anything does in this kitchen.  

Shortly after a long period of clanking forks and knives, which is surprisingly quiet, the man accidentally activates an alarm of some sort. It's much louder than the silverware, but quieter than the shocking buzz. What truly makes it stand out is the length of the sound. It keeps droning on, desperately crying out for anyone listening to feel a sense of urgency. "Why does it keep going? What does it want? Make it stop!" This is what I believe Tati is attempting to elicit from the viewers. This alarm builds tension and perplexes the audience.  

At the climax, this sound literally goes out with a bang. A loud screech can be heard, a sound that is significantly more intense than the first buzz, at the climax of the alarm. The loud cry or screech, followed by a comedic popping sound, draws our attention to the object that suddenly appears on screen. It surprises the audience just as much as it did the subject. This object is weird, and the sounds it makes when dropped remind the listeners of a volleyball or basketball hitting a floor but it looks nothing like a sports ball. At the end, when the character finds a glass in the cupboard, he wishes to test his new found understanding of objects in this kitchen by dropping it on the floor like the previous thing. The loud shattering glass symbolizes a shattered reality for everyone watching. Nothing in this world makes sense and this is what Tati was attempting to convey. 

Found Sound Final

"Behind Enemy Lines"

After messing around with the audio file that had section that sounded like wood being chopped, I realized it kind of sounds like a bunch of soldiers in clunky gear marching around. It definitely had a somewhat eery tone to it, so I decided to make the perspective of this project through the mind of a lost soldier. This soldier was hiding away in a stormy jungle and attempted to establish himself/herself as incognito. At first it was a really short edit that just started off abruptly and didn't have much change over time. Essentially, a bunch of armored vehicles and soldiers roll by and then the clip is over. I decided that I wanted to have the patrol come by, not see the main character, but then have some wandering foot soldiers start to close in on them. I also attempted to make distant gunfire that slowly grew in volume as the assailants came closer. What happens to the character? That's up to the listener to decide.

-three layered wood chopping tracks
-a track with screeching sound08A to emulate metal equipment being hauled or vehicle braking
-sound20 chopped up really small and repeated on several different tracks for gunfire
-sound10 for a throbbing heartbeat
-sound5D for a dramatic climax
-sound24 on multiple tracks to emulate the sounds of multiple vehicles coming through
-sound19a for stormy atmosphere
-sound02b for sneaking footsteps
-in the heartbeat track, there's a man's voice that can be heard somewhere in the mix. I left this in there intentionally to show how close the enemy is

Track Length: 1:27

Listen Here

Found Sound (Rough)

Rough Edit of Found Sound Project (open in a new tab)

file:///C:/Users/Patrick/Music/Found%20Sound/Found%20Sound%20Project.mp3