Soundwalk

Q: Were you able to find places and spaces where you could really listen?
A: Yes, downer woods was a good spot with a diverse range of sounds.
Q: Was it possible to move without making a sound?
A: Not so much.
Q: What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them?
A: When I plugged my ears I heard the louder sounds like planes flying overhead and then also a high pitched noise from holding my ears and what I think may have been my pulse. Then, when I unplugged them it seemed like my ears became extra sensitive to the noises closer to me.
Q: In your sound log exercise, what types of sounds were you able to hear? List them.
A: -Loud, pulsating motored tool (chainsaw or weedwacker perhaps?). Far off left.
-Wind through the leaves of the trees above. From the right to left.
-Periodic short chirps from high to the right of a bird.
-A pop can crunch from somewhat far off behind me.
-Some basketball squeaks from behind.
-Loud airplane from front to right.
-Constant low roar of traffic to the right.
-Loud motorcycle on left. Rev, coast, Rev.
Q: Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place?
A: Yes, although most of the sounds I heard seemed recognizable to at least make a good guess of what it was.
Q: Human sounds? Mechanical sounds? Natural sounds?
A: All three, for example there were people playing sports, motor vehicles on the road, and birds chirping.
Q: Were you able to detect subtleties in the everpresent drone?
A: They were easier to detect after covering my ears for 5 minutes.
Q: Extremely close sounds? Sounds coming from very far away?
A: You bet! There were sounds everywhere!
Q: What kinds of wind effects were you able to detect (for example, the leaves of trees don't make sounds until they are activated by the wind)?
A: The leaves of trees made sounds when they were activated by the wind.
Q: 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.?
A: I was able to by walking on the gravel path, through leaves, and on sticks.
Q: Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape?
A: Yes, a lot of the sounds that were closer to me and more subtle I never really noticed before because they were always there.
Q: How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all?
A: You have a better understanding of things when you take the time to stop and really experience them.