Vocal pt. 2

"Who Am I?"
Running Time 0:40
Mp3
WAV

Vocal 1

Rant "When People Like Me Say 'We're Not All Like That'"
Vocal MP3 (1:50)
Vocal WAV (1:50)

Essay #3

According to Blesser and Salter the definition of aural architecture is defined as “the composite of numerous surfaces, objects, and geometries in a complicated environment creates an aural architecture” (Blesser and Salter, 2).  All of those components can affect the soundscapes of any given building or area.  Some of the examples they give are how singing in the shower can sound drastically different than singing in a living room or how an orchestra would sound different in a concert hall than the forest.

In my own life I can right away think of one recent example of this idea in my life.  A few months ago I had to clean out my old room at my parents house so it could be remodeled.  With all of the furniture in the room you don’t really ever think about how sounds could be different if the room were somehow different.  But once everything was out and it was just an empty room the sound change is so clear.  The room gave every sound that empty echo that large enclosed spaces tend to impart.  On this Blesser and Salter say “The personality of a soundscape includes the personality of sounds as well as the personality of the aural architecture illuminated by those sounds” (16).

Unnamed Sound

Sound 1 (0:40) Recorded behind Walgreens
WAV
MP3

Sound 2 (0:40) Recorded in a Friend's Garage
WAV
MP3

BUS ROUTE
I didn't really pay attention to which bus I got on, I just boarded one that was in front of the union and picked someone on the bus to get off at the same stop as, which ended not getting me too far, as I just ended up near the corner of Locust and Oakland.

Google Maps
Me on the bus

Field Recording -- Drift

Nature (In the City)

During my first drift I realized that the traffic noise was hard to avoid.  So on my second drift I deviated slightly from the strategy to find secluded sounds, which ended up in me capturing more nature sounds than I thought I would.  The lesson learned is that even in an unnatural environment like the city, there are still natural element all around.  The three natural elements I chose were squirrels, water, and people.  The people make some unnatural and some natural noises.

10/22/13 2:20PM
The Squirrel (1:50 MP3)
The Squirrel (WAV)

10/22/13 3:00PM
Water (1:56 MP3)
Water (WAV)

10/22/13 4:30PM
People (1:20 MP3)
People (WAV)

Google Maps

Field Recording

Birds, Chipmunks, and Traffic (WAV 1:50)

Essay 2

The tourist is someone who goes and sees the countries and landmarks that are already well traveled.  In other words they see the things people say other people need to see.  Kalter says anti-tourism is to “reject this common path.” The anti-tourist seeks to find the neglected spaces, to find things that may or may not be worth seeing on their own. The idea is based on exploration and adventure as opposed to pre planned trips and tours.  For instance Kalter went to Mari El, home of “the last true pagans” in Europe.  He was given a grim warning by a Russian not to harm any trees while he was there lest he incur a pagan curse.  But the oposite actually happened whie he was there and a pagan ritual was performed especially for him to give him a blessing.  Both the warning and the ritual are two life experiences that he would not have gotten if he had gone to well known tourist attractions.  He chose to go somewhere that the common man would not and got something valuable out of it.  He experienced a culture that is hardly known and rarely talked about.