Soundwalk Response

1. Were you able to find places and spaces where you could really listen?
-Most of the area was dominated by the ever-present sound of traffic, but there was still the
underlying presence of other sources of ambience, such as wind, people, and machinery.

2. Was it possible to move without making a sound?
-No, and although the surrounding ambience was noisy, you could still hear the sound of moving fabric and footprints.

3. What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them?
-By plugging my ears, I felt that I could feel the more powerful sounds rather than really hearing them. As the less-powerful sounds were drowned out by plugging my ears, all others that I've managed to listen to were very low, and bassy. Unplugging made the high and low sounds seem to mesh together.

4. What types of sounds were you able to hear? List them.
-Beyond the over-powering outside sound of traffic, I've noticed the various sounds produced by buildings, mostly wind moving through them as well as the workings of their ventilation systems. There were also many human sounds as well, such as distant voices, over-hearing phone conversations, the russling of clothing, footsteps on cement, snow, and floor, and even apologies, by passer-bys who believed they were in the way.

5. Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place?
-In the parking complex, there was a lot of space for sounds to travel, so, footsteps from individuals and starting cars weren't easy to place right away. Another situation was in an indoor hallway that was surrounded by machinery, like vending machines, neon lights, bubblers(water fountains).

6. Were you able to differentiate human, mechanical, and natural sounds?
-Yes. Besides the natural human sounds such as speaking and footsteps, we encountered a few sounds that were caused by humans, such as operating a bike, and closing a door. The only natural sounds we managed to come across was the wind blowing between the buildings on campus.

7. Were you able to detect subtleties, changes, or variations in the everpresent drone?
-Yes, especially when in close contact to a moving car. We could hear the pitch change in the motor as the vehicle accelerated, as well as rattling in the machinery. The drone from the vents in the parking lot seemed to fluctuate, so it really wasn't so constant.

8. Extremely close sounds? Sounds coming from very far away?
- think I heard children in the distance when we exited the parking lot. Close sounds I've noticed were from my group members writing notes as well as sniffles and coughs and the above-mentioned car motors.

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.?
-The most common I have observed was the creaking and closing of doors as students held them open for each other to pass through.

10. Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape?
-Vaguely, or at least in the winter. Natural sounds were almost nonexistent, mechanical noises were very popular. However, within that given environment, I found it interesting to actually stand around and listen to the way the area is able to produce and manipulate sounds through reverberation, interference, and just listening closely.

11. How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all?
-Before this course I've taken sound for granted. By that I mean that I've never taken the time to notice, let alone appreciate such an important characteristic featured in our environment. It can supply an influence for music, film, and sound effects within that film as well.