Five Things

1. First of all, for homework we were supposed to read "the art of creativity" which explained the four steps that lead to the "flash of inspiration", or that moment that a solution or an idea comes to you, even though you don't even know why or how or where it came from. the first step is preparation, or when you "let your imagination roam free", you gather facts but are open to any possibilities. the second step is percolation which is the act of going through repetitive or routine activities that allow you to fall into subconsciousness [where the flash comes from]. the third step is illumination, or the "aha!" moment, when you actually experience the flash of inspiration. this is a product of the percolation stage. the final step, which is crucial, is transformation : when you take the inspiration and you look at it in different point of views and question it or juxtapose it with unusual things [you must stay away from functional fixedness which is your initial, rational thought process].

2. This idea of the "flash of inspiration" led into the next part of class which was looking back at our free writing from last class [writing about things that interest us]. I looked back and initially questioned my idea; i wrote about being an insomniac and how i strangely like it; i like being awake at late hours of the night and early hours of the morning. so, i created a list of other things that interest me including : silent snow, the sense of home, heavy rain, people watching, graveyards, empty streets, parisian cafes, etc. but, in the end i came back to the idea of insomnia, because it was my initial inspiration. i started making a list of the connections i have with insomnia : silence, tranquility, experiences that no one else has - sights, smells, sounds, morning fog, sunrise - sudden transitions from day to night to day again, being in a different world than everyone else, time going by fast & slow, isolation, tension, torture, what i do when i'm awake, subconscious is awake while conscious is asleep, etc. this inspired me further and convinced me that insomnia was a good topic to stick with.

3. the reason we had to choose a topic was for our next project : theme sound. after reading the project description over, i gathered that we are supposed to connect our personal interest with our work, even if it may seem to have nothing to do with sound. we have to experiment and take risks; i'm excited to begin this project because it's so open, there are virtually no boundaries or restrictions which will allow our creativity to really come through. we also have to allow our intention for the project to be evident; listeners should be impacted by our visions. after hearing the project, i began to think about how i could associate insomnia with sound art. do i want it to be abstract or environmental? my initial thought was that i could begin with loud, simultaneous sound, representing the hustle of people in the awake world, then transition to people slowly drifting away to sleep, while i am awake, causing quiet, ambient sounds. i want to bring the listener into "a night in the life of an insomniac" basically. the end will circle back to the beginning as people wake up and begin the day again.

4. to further inspire or expand our ideas of our themes, we began an exercise in which we adapted a character [i was obama] and we had to make questions that pertained to other people's themes. [this is an example of changing the point of view, which is a part of the transformation stage]. i blogged the questions that people made for me. some of them really stretched my mind and made me think of even more questions. examples: "how does insomnia effect the way you approach sleeping?" - at first, i dreaded insomnia, and it felt like torture; however, strangely, i began to enjoy it, i began to dread sleep instead. although sometimes i still do hate it, most of the time i appreciate the experiences that are exclusive to me. "how does it effect me as a person?" when i go a day [or more] without sleep, insomnia often leaves me in a strange "limbo", or zombie-like consciousness, as if i'm still stuck in that other world. "how does environment play a role in insomnia?" changes in environment definitely alter my insomnia; when i'm somewhere i'm not used to or uncomfortable with, it triggers my insomnia even more. it makes me scared of sleep; i feel like i can only sleep if i feel safe.

5. the final part of class was the critique of our abstract sound pieces. i loved hearing a lot of other people's works. it was intriguing how different they were and really reflected the personalities of my fellow students. when i brought mine up, i got few, but interesting responses. one thing i could fix is making it even clearer that my focus was on timbre, tone, and pitch, and not rhythm. otherwise, i think that the critique went well.

Brain Storming

Topic : Insomnia

1. why do my thoughts keep me up all night?

2. do you feel like there is a resolution?

3. when is it most important to be awake?

4. how does my inability to sleep affect me as a person?

5. how long will it take me to sleep?

6. what would i be doing if i was awake all the time? productive?

7. do different or certain environments provoke insomnia?

8. what keeps me up all night?

9. when is sleep important?

10. does human interaction aid to being awake or is it unnecessary?

11. is insomnia contagious?

12. was it triggered by something in particular? haunting?

13. do i feel in control? out of control?

14. how do i feel about sleeping?

15. why is it difficult to fall asleep even when i'm tired?

Five Things

1. We started off class today with a five minute free write on something that interests us; difficult as the topic is little ambiguous i thought, but i just started writing and ended up surprising myself with what i chose as an interest: my insomnia. i don't know why or how or where i got that topic from but i started writing about how i enjoy being awake at the early hours of the morning when everyone else is asleep because i have the world to myself and nobody else gets to experience the night-exclusive sounds, sights, ambiance, and thoughts that i do.

2. Immediately after the free write, artist, Rob Sheterly, came in to speak about his work. I previously reflected on his visit in a post, but wanted to add that his short explanation of the surrealism that he used to do inspired me to sort of do something similar as my own personal project. I want to study certain artists that I emulate and appreciate, and paint a response to one of their paintings, or the message in the painting. Just a thought.

3. My favorite part of class : The Jam Session. I was so surprised that all of the varying "instruments" that we were using somehow collaborated and created a unique and interesting sound that had a beat, rhythm, pitch, tone, etc. I liked experimenting with timbre, because I never really understood what it meant, and now i do.

4. Then we talked about abstract vs environmental sound. I think i prefer abstract sound because it's so obscure and complicated and you don't even know how the sound was created or where it originated. It was really cool to see the uses of abstract sound in the media, or commercials such as the kit kat or nike commercial [ i can totally understand why they used abstract noise as a marketing tactic]. there is a fine line between sound and music; music incorporates harmony, melody, and rhythm, where as sound only emphasizes one or two of these. i think its interesting when you can't tell whether something is sound or music, it makes you really pick it apart and pay attention to it.

5. finally we ended the class with learning how to edit and put together sounds to create our project. we also started experimenting with the sounds we accumulated as a class and that was really fun and i continued playing around with the software when i came back to my dorm. i know that i prefer abstract sound now because those were the kind of sounds i ended up creating. i'm really looking forward to doing this abstract sound project.

Jam Session

Discription

Ambience – the “natural” sounds within any given environment

Acoustic Space – echo/vibrations in the drum and "hollow" sounds

Amplitude - at times it was very loud, others very soft

Pitch – huge range of pitch, with low pitch in the drums and high pitch in the "plucked" instruments, and in between were the instruments that had beads on the inside that were shaken.

Frequency – rate at which sound waves occur. It determines pitch.

Tone- tone did exist as some instruments had a constant tone, as they did not vary in pitch, creating the same sound throughout the jam session.

Dynamic range – there was a high range of volumes, to emphasize certain sounds at different points

Harmonics: it worked more with rhythm and variation in pitch that did not create a harmony; there weren't any harmonies [pitches that are exactly evenly spaced]

Melody – the constant rhythm from the drum was melodic because it very distinct and unchanging throughout the song.

Timbre – the qualities of the sound that each distinct instrument made were emphasized at certain points; instruments changed their rhythm, tone, pitch, amplitude, etc at these points to alter their quality to stand out.

Noise: There was a multitude of frequencies from each of the instruments original sounds which distorted the sound in a unique way.

Rob Shetterly : People Who Tell the Truth

Rob Shetterly's short visit was surprisingly insightful; he had a lot of philosophies and opinions that were really bold and unconventional. Initially, he talked about his surrealistic origins in art, which is what initially grabbed my interest as he spoke about how he had conversations with art and artists, responding to their intentions and meanings of their work, through his paintings. He then went on to explain his "People Who Tell the Truth" project, that portrays many historic and current social activists or leaders that change the wrongdoings that America has created. They are raw and express the individuals views and goals. In contrast to traditional portraits, it leaves out the unnecessary elements such as decoration or possessions that the person had, proving their high class status. That direction is not what he was going for as the actual person, their soul, and their mind is much more important. Another interesting statement he had was "don't be impatient", relating to the process of art. He explained how inspiration comes from this process and therefore produces something more meaningful and powerful.

Listening Exercise

The first place I chose to sit and listen to was kind of a strange choice, because most of the time when I am there I feel there is a lack of noise, or silence. This place was the on the stairs in front of Day Hall, specifically at two or three a.m. Focusing on the sounds of this environment made me realize that it isn’t very silent at all. Though loud or acknowledgeable sounds are rare, such as people, cars, buses, etc, the subtle noise is intriguing once I listened to it. The farthest sounds were resigning sirens and similar commotions of downtown Syracuse. More audible was the surrounding natural ambiance which acted as a middle sound, including the wind or trees. The loudest or most pervasive sounds were the few exceptions of subtly such as a bus [which is painfully loud underneath the overhang actually], or the horn of said bus, or the slam of a car door.

The second location I chose for the listening exercise was the dining hall [Graham]. I purposely went there at the busiest time of day which I have found to be around 6:30 p.m. When you focus on the diversity of the miscellaneous noises generated by the process of hundreds of students dining, it’s a little overwhelming. It was hard to pick out specific sounds, except those that were right in front of me such as the sounds of my own silverware, plate, and glass, and the closest voices and movement. After getting past those, I noticed the strangest sound which is a collaboration of each student and therefore is a constant incoherent mumble, fluctuating in volume and tone. It was kind of creepy when I listened to it for too long and began to sound demonic, as simultaneous voices combined to create a layer of voices, similar to that of many exorcism movies.

My final destination for this assignment was at the College Place bus stop. The outcome of my audible observations, was similar, yet very different, to my expectations. I was anticipating many loud sounds of transportation such as the passing buses, cars, trucks, etc, which obviously existed here. However, I was also expecting a lot of layering of student voices, similar but less overwhelming as those at the dining hall. Contrary to this assumption, voices were quiet, if even existent at points which is probably due to the students anticipation for the arrival of their bus to get where they need to go, and halts a lot of conversation that would normally be going on. Therefore, the noise environment was dominated by the sounds of transportation : wheels rolling at different speeds, opening and closing of bus and car doors [which are very different], horns, and motors.

Blogger Sound Questions

Listen carefully to the Lyre Bird sounds. What do you notice?

While listening to the Lyre Birds, I noticed the broad variety of sounds they are able to produce. Also, they are constantly making sound, being different pitches, amplitudes, and length, it seems; there is never a moment of silence. Their sounds are much more complex than those of other species of birds as they sound like they are whistling, screaming, and talking at points. complex sounds. The most fascinating characteristic of the Lyre Birds however is their perplexing ability to impersonate the sounds that they hear including animals, cameras, car alarms, etc, all sounds that we hear, but often overlook.

Lyre Bird sounds: which sounds are interesting to listen to? Why? Describe in formal terms (rhythm, pitch, timbre etc.). What do you like or dislike about these sounds? Why?

The Lyre Bird's most interesting sounds are the ones that it makes when impersonating the sounds that it hears around it. The recreated sounds have incredible clarity and they are easily recognizable as what they are supposed to be. The bird also creates an obscure mood in the forest, unlike any other animal, as it is constantly audible especially when there are a lot of them together. The ambiance of the Lyre Bird's environment fluctuates from calming and tranquil with its whistling or chatter, to bold and intrusive with its high pitched and amplified sounds of the car alarm or the destruction of the forest.

Describe the sound example in terms of who is singing or making the sound(s), why, and where. What can you tell us about the sound maker’s choices or freedoms to make sound? How empowered is the sound maker to effect change, or keep things in his/her/its life as he/she/it might wish?

The sound example takes place in the forest, the Lyre Bird's environment, where the birds are making the sounds for multiple reasons, including attracting a partner, and wanting to repeat the sounds they hear. From this information, it is assumed that the Lyre Bird first of all uses sound in function, or mating, while also using it to express a freedom as it is able and allowed to recreate practically any noise. The Lyre Birds mystifying sounds provide them with the power to change exemplified when the bird produces the sound of the destruction of the forest. Seeing this, the audience eyes are opened to the adverse and depressing environment they live in as they provide us with evidence of the often overlooked caused by humans. Their sounds, whether the birds are aware or not, act as cry for help that one day may cause a positive change. Additionally, the bird may create intimidating sounds, including those of other animals or loud pervasive sounds, to keep certain animals, or people, away. On the other hand, the Lyre bird has the ability to keep things in its life that it appreciates such as other Lyre birds, mates, or perhaps certain wildlife, probably either the harmless or helpful creatures, as they may be attracted to the familiar sounds it mimics.

The Lyre Bird practices perceptual acuity, and attention to the formal aspects of sounds, in order to mimic sounds in its environment. Some would say it performs sound Foley. It sings with bias toward complex sounds, but without critical judgment of the sounds value to the society/community/species of Lyre Birds. What are the implications of this?

The Lyre Bird's bias toward complex sounds and lack of judgement toward what their value may be, is apparent in its imitation of the surrounding intrusive destruction machines and people. These sounds are strange and complicated in pitch, tone, and rhythm, interesting the bird. However, the bird is unaware of what those sounds represent and their unfortunate consequences that will in fact affect the existence of the entire Lyre Bird community and the rest of its environment.

How could you as someone who can design sound for use sound in media, projects, or environments, make sound interesting to someone else? How could you do this even with a sound that the person hears everyday and fails to notice, or a sound someone might usually tune out? Describe your concept in detail. For whom, where, what, when and how would your sound design exist? (You might consider this in terms of your intended major. Extra credit for provision of how sound is relevant to your intended major)

Through the application of sounds, even those that are overlooked as they are apparent in our everyday lives, still has the ability to interest people in media, projects, or environments. Even common sounds that are seemingly dull [doors, cars, people walking, even the wind, etc], can be altered and manipulated through editing. Combining sound clips can be used to establish an interesting rhythm or beat that actually takes once boring noise into an intricate and innovative piece of art. I could an design a sound project, that would interest people and disprove their notion that everyday sound is boring. For example, I would take recordings of the often over looked unprompted sounds, specifically nonvocal ones created by people, that are products of our daily lives. The recordings would embrace the sounds of our modern society, exposing society's audible diversity existing in the artificial sounds of technology, machines, and a hectic lifestyle. Examples are : opening and closing doors, cars or buses, people walking, running, biking, etc, and sounds produced by machines or monumental creations of man. I would transform the "noise" into a rhythmic and entrancing stream of sound that evolves and alternates between contrasting beats, volumes, and tones. This sound production would be reminiscent of music but reinterpreted artistically, providing an audience with an experience , not just a "song". The purpose of my idea would be to illuminate the significance of modern noise, which rarely receives recognition, let alone acknowledgement, as the exposition of our development and progress, as the two change simultaneously. Finally, modern sound is a product of society’s helpful and detrimental impact on the world, and my concept for this sound project would both demonstrate these ideas and provoke interest in something that is commonly neglected.

* an expansion of this idea that I just thought of : maybe I could go farther with this project and juxtapose these modern sounds with the sounds of nature, further proving our impact on the world.

Project Photographs

URL for my project blog where you can see all of the pictures and reflections :

http://hellomynameisstranger.blogspot.com/

Here are some examples of the people I photographed.

Project Reflection

1. If there was on thing you got out of the experience designing or performing your piece, what was it?

One thing I got out of performing my piece was how unexpectedly simple it was to approach [some] people and break that stranger barrier with a five minute conversation. Although I obviously wasn't successful every time, there were a group of people that really effected and impressed me. I never thought I'd find some of the people I did, and realized if I never did this project they would all still be strangers.

2. If you could eliminate or change one step in the process what would it be and how would this change the process?

If I could change one thing about my project, I would have allowed much more time for planning. My initial idea was a lot more complicated than what I ended at. I would have loved to have been able to display my project on something more public than a blog so I could effect more people. However, then I would have needed to speak to many more people and gotten more permits, which I did not have enough time to accomplish.

[1-6 images from blog]

Today's Class

I already wrote about one of the major aspects of class previously [our discussion with Bill Viola], and after that I feel like I could ramble on forever about it because it really inspired me and made sense to my own views on art. Besides that portion of class, we also got to play around with the recording devices and learned how to record sounds without distortion by altering the settings and upload them onto the computer. After being introduced to the sound project and getting to use the recorder, I got really excited to start exploring sounds, both abstract and soundscape.

Bill Viola

When we went to go listen to Bill Viola today I was expecting to maybe hear about or see some of his specific works in art. However, although that would have been interesting as well, I was really pleasantly surprised with what he had to say. He spoke more about the philosophies or basis of creating art and how you can't focus on being successful and pleasing people because then you will lose yourself. Something that stuck with me in particular was his idea that creativity comes from those moments when you're alone or in your own private place which allows you to listen to the little sparks of inspiration [a thought, impulse, or feeling]. In this time of solitude, you aren't actually alone he said. When he began explaining the idea of Darshon [or when you are physically alone, yet there is another greater element that is beyond you that is necessary to create art]. In these moments is when you listen to your subconscious instead of your active mind which I can agree is a necessary ability in art. All of these balances between self and outer self both fascinated and confused me, yet it does all make sense. He mentioned that this is the only aspect of art that is left out of art education. And though that is true I thought that it is impossible to teach something like that; you can speak about it and philosophize about it, but if someone is truly focused on success and praise, they will never be what he described as a true "great artist". He stressed that you should not over analyze your work because then the initial idea that created it will be lost and that is the most important aspect of art. He talked about how art is a life long journey, not a job, which is why it doesn't matter if you're world renowned or not. The journey is not about knowledge, but about the question or mystery because once you arrive at an answer, the journey is over.

Project Update

So, I have been planning my project all week and decided to start it before Thursday by meeting people around my dorm. I then plan to do the same on the quad in a couple days. I will post the photos and reflections of what I have done so far by tomorrow. I'm definitely getting into this project surprisingly due to the fact I had to craft it in a week. I think it's going to turn out really well though.

We'll see.