Final Edit

My final edit is titled Autism Fucking Sucks. I hope you enjoy!

Run Time: 40 seconds
Here is the MP3 version
Here is the WAV version

Interview With My Uncle

This my phone interview with my uncle, who has been asked to not be referred to by name. This is his story of a recording being used against him. I hope you enjoy!

Run Time: 1:55
Here is the MP3 version.
Here is the WAV version.

Equalization Screen Grab:

Main Interview Question:
What injustices have happened to you over the course of your life?
Specifically:
In your professional life?
In your military experience?
In your personal life?
Other Questions:
How did your political views evolve over time, and what contributed to this change?
What is the most perilous injury you have ever suffered, and what were the circumstances surrounding it?

In regard to the last question, I intended to use that while recording, but in editing, realized that vital parts of the story were non-replaceable.

Essay #3

            Outside of recording booths and concert halls, acoustics are rarely taken into consideration when designing a space. More often than not, a piece of aural architecture will occur incidentally. For instance, in my house, I find that footsteps tend to have a flatter, more echoing sound than in other places. The house was not designed with this sound in mind, but the visual architecture allows for fascinating sounds.

            According to Blesser and Salter, aural architecture is created by “the composite of numerous surfaces, objects, and geometries in a complex environment.” (Pg. 2) Every object in a room alters the soundscape, dramatically influencing how various sounds and noises are perceived. For instance, when I am in a recording booth and my phone rings, it sounds a lot more dead and hollow than when I am in my bedroom. The insulation and lack thereof change the nature of the sound, resulting in fascinating effects.

            Blesser and Salter say, “In a sense, we are all aural architects.” (Pg. 6) Technically, that is true. No two sounds are alike, and no two people perceive a sound in the same way. There is no singular vision, like in traditional architecture. Everyone is always creating his or her own soundscape, enriching the world around us.

A Rant About Autism and Its Effects

I had planned to rant about a Disney movie. But then, I decided to discuss something that was actually important to me. I have an emotional connection to this subject, and I hope you enjoy it.

(screengrab of equalization)

Here is the MP3 format

Here is the WAV format

Field Recording 3: Unnamed

Hello, and welcome to our final field recording!

Indoor Sound:
Here is the MP3 version.
Here is the WAV version.

Outdoor Sound:
Here is the MP3 version.
Here is the WAV version.
For the outdoor sound, I took the 10 line from the Humboldt & North stop. Regrettably, my phone died, and I was unable to take a picture.

Can you figure it out?

October Essay: The Anti-Tourist

"The anti-tourist prefers dead things to living. The anti-tourist loves truth, but is partial to lies." Kalder refers to himself as an anti-tourist, which, to him, means a person who rejects sights normally viewed as spectacular. He thinks that they  "have been seen and written about so many times that they are no longer spectacular."

Kalder thought Russia to be prime ground for the anti-tourist. There are traditional tourist spots there, such as the Red Square, but he stayed far away from places like this. Instead, he visited places like Tatarstan. Not exactly a prime vacation spot. There, he visited a museum full of jars containing dead mutated children. Why does he do this?

Because it excites him. Kalder does not find excitement in places like the Eiffel Tower or the Pyramids of Giza. He needs anti-tourist spots. Places like Tatarstan, where he can find real interest off of the beaten path.

Good Morning, Milwaukee: Field Recording 2

This is my second field recording, entitled Good Morning, Milwaukee.

Here is the MP3 version.
Here is the WAV version.

The recording was taken on Friday, October 24th at approximately 9 AM. I was standing under the right next to the bridge between Cambridge and RiverView on North Ave.

My drift strategy can be seen in the post entitled as such. I hope you enjoy!

Drift Strategy

Start at Cambridge Commons. Begin by walking west towards RiverView. Once across the bridge, flip a coin to turn left or right at Humboldt.

After that, employ a random number generator app at every third intersection. Turn left if even, right if odd, continue straight if the number is prime. Repeat with fifteen intersections. Stop and record when interesting sounds pop up.

If necessary, turn around and repeat the process. Figure out how to get home.
The Random Number Generator App


My Drift:
West on North Ave. towards Riverview (RECORDING)
Left on N. Humboldt Ave.
Left on N. Commerce St.
Left on N. Pierce St. (RECORDING)
Right on N. Holton St. (RECORDING)
Left on E. Lloyd St.
Right on N. Hubbard St.
Left on E. North Ave. (RECORDING)
Right on N. Richards St.
Left on E. Clarke St. (RECORDING)
Right on N. Doctor M.L.K. Jr Dr.
Right on W. Center St. (RECORDING)

STOP

Like Tears In Rain- Field Recording #1

This is my first field recording, titled Like Tears In Rain. It was recorded in front of Cambridge Commons, 2323 N. Cambridge Avenue at 5:00 PM on Monday, October 13.

Here is the mp3 format.
Here is the WAV format.

The total run time is 2:00.

I hope you enjoy!

September Essay Prompt 1

            The ability to identify patterns in sound is, at its core, what allows life forms to communicate with each other. Humans in particular have developed many highly complex ways to exchange information. But sometimes, the patterns can be difficult to distinguish. The ambience of the world obscures them; “In a lo-fi soundscape, individual acoustic signals are obscured in an overdense population of sounds.” (Schaefer 43) When I hear this, I think of myself standing in Navy Pier in Chicago. I hear flashes of sound around me: a camera taking a picture, people conversing in a foreign language, the scream of a child on the swings. But they’re all faint. No single sound comes into the foreground.

            Meanwhile, hi-fi soundscapes are different entirely. The background ambience is low and in the distance, allowing individual sounds to take center stage. Schaefer says, “The country is more hi-fi than the city,” (Schaefer 43) meaning that the lower population of individual sounds allows you to focus on one with little interference.

            I picture a beach in South Carolina, where my family went on vacation two years ago. Early in the morning, before anyone else would come, I liked to go and sit there. I would just close my eyes and listen to the breaking waves, hearing the faint chirp of seagulls in the distance. It was incredibly peaceful. When I think of hi-fi sound, that is what comes to mind.

September Essay Prompt 2

Memory is a strange thing. You can remember all of an event, or your brain will only cough up snippets. For instance, all I remember from kindergarten is an incident where I got kicked in the face. I don’t remember any sound, or what happened after it. All I remember is seeing a foot contact my jaw.

However, Schaefer’s memory is a little different. He recalls sounds: “The ubiquitous cackling of geese, or the swoosh and bang of a screen door.” (Schaefer 48) These sounds not only represent his childhood, they define it. The sounds clearly mean a lot to him, and bring up happy memories.

When I think of childhood-defining auditory memories, the first thing that comes to mind would definitely be the soundtrack to The Lion King. I listened to that so many times when I was little that hearing it now gives me pangs of nostalgia. It’s like a key to my past, like the sounds of a farm to Murray Schaefer.

The Calm and the Storm

Here are the two copies of my sound edit, entitled The Calm and the Storm. I hope you enjoy!


Click here for WAV format
Click here for AIF/AIFF format