mgarside-blog1

[mgarside-blog1]

#8

Write a summative reflection on the course material. In it, you can respond to the following questions, in addition to any other thoughts you have on the subject.

What did you learn?

What concepts do you expect to apply to future projects/courses/endeavours?

How did the course content tie in to your program/area of study--what are the commonalities, intersections, similarities, differences?

What are the key takeaways overall from this course?

Overall, I have found this course effective with the material remarkably interesting. The classes were informative, entertaining and engaging, when you’re learning from someone that is passionate towards their topic, it really enhances the way in which we approach the given subject a great amount. The interactive talks between the teacher and the class are a much more efficient and enjoyable way to learn over assigned individual and silent work. 

I learnt that sound is everywhere, whether we notice it at the time or not. We are constantly surrounded by sound, and it plays a much more important role in our lives than we think. Whether its ambient sounds from technology, the human body and nature or social communication and forms of entertainment such as listening to music or watching a production of some sort (theatre, concert, TV show, movie etc).

I would like to pursue a career within sound, whether its sound production throughout theatres/concerts/television/film or creating music myself, so the key concepts and themes that I have learnt through this course are significant and will surely help me in future projects I am involved in. If a future career of mine takes place in the marketing area, I am now educated within sonic branding and will be knowledgeable towards this and the techniques to creating a catchy and iconic tune for a certain brand, extending visual communication with an audio identity. 

The course content tied into my area of study which is media production, sound is arguably the most important aspect of media productions and plays a huge part throughout the subject. Sound improves the quality of media productions by creating an emotional response from viewers or a sense of excitement which is can often be absent without the inclusion of sound. If I ever go into the industry of creating my own music, I will include the influence of Schaeffer’s ‘Musique Concrete’ techniques of using existing sounds to create an art piece. 

The key take away from this course, besides the theories I have explored, is simply to stay mindful. I have gained knowledge regarding the fact that sometimes in order to stay present, you just need to sit and take in your surroundings, for example actually listen to that crunchy leaf you’re about to step on and just remember to take in the pleasant sounds of life. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed this course and it truly taught me a lot that I will surely benefit from throughout my life and the journeys I will take. 

[mgarside-blog1]

#7

Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in Cinema – Sound and Image – David Sonnenschein

This chapter essentially summarizes the differences between sound and visuals, also the interaction between the two, mostly within film. Both sound and image within cinema has its own way of storytelling, not necessarily needing the two simultaneously together constantly. With sound alone we can create visuals in our mind, expanding imagination and heightening internal images and relationships. As Sonnenschein states, you can block out visuals simply by closing your eyes to avoid sight, whereas sound is a little more complicated to shut out, needing strength to press against your ears, only muffling and decreasing the sound waves, not completely able to block out the sound until the result of silence. A point that I found interesting was ‘While the eye trains itself on an object, a word, or a face, then scans to another point to focus on a different aspect of the visual field, the ear is sensitive to all sounds from all directions at the same time.’ Its things like this that you don’t actually notice as it is a daily occurrence that we take for granted and don’t really think much about. The author discusses the way we approach sound within film, differentiating both the diegetic (sounds characters can hear in the film world e.g. footsteps) and non-diegetic (sounds only the audience watching the film can hear e.g. the soundtrack). Sonnenschein also analyses the impact that music has upon viewers, how sound in film can strategically manipulate viewers into an emotional, vulnerable state, also how it creates continuity and narrative progression/unity, and how it complements the storytelling nicely, binding the structure and allowing it to be an art form rather than just a visual masterpiece. This chapter has definitely made me feel a lot more mindful regarding the sounds that I hear around me every day, to take in the things that take place every day i.e. your surroundings that include visuals and sounds, I feel present and helps me to live in the moment. It has also educated me further on the importance of music/sound within film.

 Designing a Movie for Sound – Randy Thom

This chapter regards sound design and the way in which you can create sounds for film. The author states the correct ways to produce a successful soundtrack/sound in general (including diegetic sounds/dialogue) they also highlight the stereotypes of sound within cinema. “What passes for "great sound" in films today is too often merely loud sound. High fidelity recordings of gunshots and explosions, and well-fabricated alien creature vocalizations do not constitute great sound design.” They emphasize the importance of not giving a character too much dialogue, giving the words they’re saying less value, also it can waste precious time and viewers lose interest if a talking scene is too lengthy. The author assists you and gives you advice on exactly how to create effective sound design and offers step-by-step insight from what the industry requires. Thom too, similarly to Sonnenschein, discusses visuals and how they differ from sound and the vitality of both elements.

Sound Talents  

Suggest a mood – Terror, horror

Evoke a feeling – Fearful, sorrow

Set a pace – Fast paced

Indicate a geographical locale - Germany

Indicate a historical period – World War II

Define a character – Strong, fighter, stubborn, determined

[mgarside-blog1]

#6

Blog Post 6: User Interface 

Develop a set of interaction sounds for a selected product, app, or interactive location, for example:

A toy

car dashboard

Appliance (e.g. coffee maker)

app (e.g. Skype)

simple casual mobile game (e.g. Tetris, Candy Crush, Crossword Puzzle)

the TTC

A bank machine

RAMMS

For your post:

1. Identify the object you have chosen and list all the interactions a user will have with the object

2. Identify the context (environment, during what type of activity, time of day, etc.) for each interaction

3. Identify the types of feedback the user will need to get for each interaction (e.g. input received, task completed, button pushed, error made, levelling up, etc.)

4. Come up with a plan for the sounds you would design. As with branding, decide on a mood/tone using descriptive words, then parlay that into proposed sounds

5. Create a "mood board" of sound files. These do not *have* to be the actual sounds that would be used for each instance you identified in the previous steps, but should speak to the tone and feel of the sounds you're going for. If you're an audio whiz, feel free to create the actual sounds you would want to use by manipulating existing SFX or synthesizing sounds.

Just a reminder that you have access to some great sound effects and music through the RTA Audio Library -- see the Announcement in this course for how to log in. There are also some great sounds available in online libraries like freesound.org.

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1. Object: RAMMS website User Interactions: users will visit this site to sign up for courses, pay their tuition fees, apply for tax returns, check account statements and balance and to check grades

2. Context: Getting organised for classes, receiving feedback Environment: at home/university or library Time: Summer period most of the time, daytime/evening to sign up for classes and morning to check results 

3. Feedback: Input received, accepted/denied, task completed, button pushed, error made

4. Sound designs: if user has been accepted into a class - successful high pitch sound effect to signal this, if user has been denied - low pitch buzz, when a payment is made - chequing/coins clashing sound effect, when checking grades some supportive sound effects such as applauding and an overall ambient mood throughout the webpage to create a calming and comforting vibe for users. 

5. Moodboard: Ambient webpage sound a) Success! b) Ambient webpage c) Error/Failed d) Payment gone through e) Clapping 

[mgarside-blog1]

Podcast Assignment Research

ASMR podcast transcript (rough)

Autonomous sensory meridian response, or as you may know it: ASMR. Some love it, some hate it. How do you feel towards the sound of a stranger whispering or chewing food right into your ear? Oddly satisfying, or totally repulsive? Whether you find it excruciatingly painful to listen to or highly appealing and fulfilling to your aural needs, you can't deny the spine tingling sensation that it generates internally. ASMR is a euphoric experience characterized by a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine, precipitating relaxation. For someone who's unfamiliar with this phenomenon, this might trigger one question: What the hell is going on?

*Insert ASMR sound trigger clips as example for listeners*

The term is believed to have been coined in 2010 by Jennifer Allen, who started a Facebook group dedicated to finding out more about it. The term quickly caught on, as people finally had a way to reference the pleasurable feeling they had been experiencing. ASMR is an on-growing, extraordinary online subculture that has spawned – with thousands of YouTube videos designed to trigger the sensation. Millions are mesmerised by this experience, with types of ASMR videos varying from role-play (getting a haircut at the hairdressers, or a doctors appointment) to triggering sounds up close to the microphone (such as eating, tapping the mic, crisp sounds, crinkling paper, breathing, brushing hair, playing with slime), watching somebody apply make-up, close personal attention of whispering reassurance to calm you down from panic attacks, whispering movie quotes, whispering made-up scenarios or stories, massaging, braiding hair, etc. The most popular ASMR videos are the ones designed to supposedly help you sleep, and the voice most often being female to create the most tingle-inducing effect.

*Insert audio of ASMR video*

The feeling isn't usually sexual. Although some people are triggered by videos that appear sexual, other people I've talked to who experience ASMR emphasized that the tingles and feelings of relaxation have nothing to do with sex. But ASMR is a little similar to sexual turn-ons in that some people are very specific in what they like, and many people tend to grow tired of experiencing the same thing over and over. People also appear to grow tolerant of triggers if they listen or watch them too much. So it's important for ASMR video makers to keep things fresh, and for viewers to make sure they don't overplay that one amazingly tingly video.

Statistics:

ASMR is greatly popular within today's society, with an online survey showing that 46% of 4,550 people have watched over 100 ASMR videos and 5% never having experienced this, 27% of 11,000 claiming that ASMR videos help them to feel less stressed and 25% to help with sleep. The most popular target audience of people that experience ASMR seem to be female and between the ages of 20-29 years.

Useful words:

Tingling, sensation, pleasing, intimate, one on one, loneliness, personal attention, triggers, simulation, calming, comforting, soft spoken, ambient sounds, warm buzzing, gentle, tender, stimulating, pleasurable

Include:

Interview with someone that loves ASMR, someone that hates it

{ INTRO

QUESTIONS

KEY POINTS

OUTRO }

Pros:

Helps with loneliness, audio affection, simulating triggers to release toxins in body, calming – if you're feeling soft/needy or crave a massage/someone playing with your hair but you're alone, these sound effects can reduce stress and anxiety – calming your nerves with deceitful attention

Cons:

Awkward, cringe, embarrassing

Citations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBgJNTp5WLw

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=asmr+

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35106835

https://asmruniversity.com/asmr-polls-surveys/

[mgarside-blog1]

#5

Pick a retail environment (e.g. a store, a coffee shop) and...

1. Describe, using about 10 adjectives or phrases, what "brand" you think this place is trying to convey, and indicate who you think the target demographic is. (You can do this part before you visit.)

2. Go visit this retail environment and list all of the sounds heard in the environment during at least a 5-minute period.

3. Answer the following questions, based on Julian Treasure's explanation of retail soundscapes, with a brief explanation supporting your answer.

a. which sounds were arbitrary and which sounds deliberate?

b. which sounds were congruent to the brand and which were incongruent to the brand?

c. which sounds were friendly and which were hostile?

4. Give some thoughts on what you think this place could do with sound to improve their sales.

As always, be sure to properly cite your information using both in-text citations as well as a works cited list. Where you refer to material discussed in class, be sure to cite the lecture as the source, and when referring to Julian Treasure's ideas, cite the videos we watched.

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STARBUCKS

1) The target audience for Starbucks is mostly young adults who survive off coffee in order to get through their day at work or university, and the odd occasion of young teenagers going in to get themselves a frappucino.

Coffee lovers, trendy, sophisticated, cozy, relaxing, chilled environment, friendly, good vibes, artsy.

2) Quiet music with female vocals, instrumental notes such as piano, electric guitar and bass, complements atmosphere. Songs such as: Rolling on the River by Tina Turner. Faint conversations surrounding me, both English language and Español. Subtle sounds of laughter, people sipping on their coffee, the gentle typing sound from my keyboard. Chairs scraping, the sound of a woman zipping up her sweater, the sound of coffee cups being placed against the table and a slight noise coming from the air conditioner, footsteps coming in and out of the room, a phone dropping on the floor and police sirens in the distance.

3a)  - Background music - deliberate

      - Conversations/laughter - arbitrary

      - Sipping on coffee - arbitrary

      - Typing on keyboard - arbitrary

      - Chairs scraping - arbitrary

      - Zipping sound effect - arbitrary

      - Coffee cups placed against table - arbitrary

      - Air con - arbitrary

      - Footsteps - arbitrary

      - Phone dropping - arbitrary

      - Police sirens - arbitrary

b)    - Background music - congruent

       - Conversations/laughter - congruent

       - Sipping on coffee - congruent

       - Typing on keyboard - congruent

       - Chairs scraping - congruent

       - Zipping sound effect - congruent

       - Coffee cups placed against table - congruent

       - Air con - congruent

       - Footsteps - congruent

       - Phone dropping - incongruent

       - Police sirens - incongruent

c)      - Background music - friendly

        - Conversations/laughter - friendly

        - Sipping on coffee - friendly      

        - Typing on keyboard - friendly      

        - Chairs scraping - hostile    

        - Zipping sound effect - friendly

        - Coffee cups placed against table - friendly

        - Air con - hostile  

        - Footsteps - friendly  

        - Phone dropping - hostile  

        - Police sirens - hostile

4) Starbucks in surrounded by natural, generic and familiar sounds you would find in any coffee shop, I am not surprised by the results of most sounds being arbitrary, congruent and friendly. The way in which Starbucks could improve their sales is by perhaps playing some gentler, instrumental only music - although I don’t find this music a distraction from my work, others with a smaller attention span may find it harder to work in an environment with lyrical music playing in the background. Another way to avoid intrusive sounds such as chairs scraping is to solve this issue with a carpet fitting, however this would lead to harder cleaning tasks for workers. Another way in which they could increase their sales is if they had an extra floor for silent works who need to study or read in a peaceful environment, and a floor aimed for casual chatting and social lunch breaks. As Julian Treasure discussed, up to 30% of sales can be dropped due to invasive and unpleasant sounds in a retail environment, so some things could be altered order to avoid this from happening.

Citations

https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_5_ways_to_listen_better/transcript

[mgarside-blog1]

Participation post

Today I explored the psychology of sound and the four ways in which it affects us: 

1) Physiologically - affects breathing, increasing/decreasing heart rate/brain waves - an example of a sound which would increase heart rate is the noise that a heart monitor gives off; this affects you negatively as the setting is a daunting experience, it is unnerving and may cause anxiety. A positive example of this would be calming study music or meditation, the purpose solely to relax its audience, decrease any stress/anxiety and to shift your mindset into a better, more comforting place. Whenever I feel anxious, I often find listening to beach/waves/rain sound effects really helps to calm me down.

2) Psychologically - causes emotion “music is the most powerful form of sound that can affect our mental state” - an example of this would be a soft piano instrumental movie soundtrack during a sad scene, purposely included to affect the audience by triggering emotion. Another example of this is the sound effect of birds singing, this reassures listeners as it symbolizes a sense of safety and security. I find that if I’m sad, I will either listen to my sad playlist to let my emotions out, or if I want to block out the feeling I will put on my playlist of upbeat, feel good songs and most of the time this drastically shifts my mood. If I’m getting ready to go out, this positive music also enhances my good mood. 

3) Cognitively - disruptive sounds that are most of the time unpleasant and sometimes unbearable. An example of this is trying to work in a noisy environment, your productivity is going to decrease due to the lack of concentration you find yourself with. 

4) Behaviorally -  moving away from unpleasant sounds to pleasant sounds, working in an environment with constant loud and uncomfortable sound is extremely damaging for your health (hence for example why builders wear ear protection). Irritable and inappropriate retail soundscapes have a dramatic affect on sales, losing up to 30% business due to customers leaving the store as a consequence to the sound being too dreadful. 

Citations

https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_the_4_ways_sound_affects_us#t-51687

[mgarside-blog1]

#4

In today’s class we differentiated the contrasting factors between talk radio and podcasts whilst also highlighting similarities. The distinctions I found were that talk radio shows are mostly professional interviews, with one on one questions and answers whereas podcasts are much more conversational and laid back with in-depth, personal and less structured interviews. Talk radio is played on transport radios such as cars, listeners can tune in whilst travelling and frequently the show will be live. You can find podcasts online, in which the consumer will download and for example then play offline on the transit on their way to work. I believe that podcasts are much more prominent in cities, where less people drive and they search for their content online to listen to through earphones on their way to work or school. Talk radio advertisements are lengthy, invasive and there are increasing amounts of them however podcast promotions are shorter, fewer quantity and ‘native’ which means they will fit in with the subject of conversation, most likely host-read so the relationship listeners have built with the speakers will a lot of the time willingly listen to the ads at more of an ease. The audience for talk radio shows are primarily mass and podcasts are more niche, therefore radio talk shows need to offer a broader appeal in order to attract maximum potential of listeners, having to keep their content clean as it is broadcast on radios.  Podcasts have a niche audience due to the fact that audience search specifically for this content, whereas talk radio have a wider range, mass audience as they’re generally aimed towards the whole city/town/country rather than a certain group of people. Podcasts can be explicit depending on content, with more of an unpolished effect and a comical aspect. Radio talk shows are local, with news updates within that area, whilst podcasts are universal and offer a broader range of reports regarding current affairs. Both radio shows and podcasts rely heavily on intimacy, voice and conversational elements. We read the article ‘Toward a Critical Theory of Podcasting’ by Jonah Weiner and the key quotes I would like to point out are:

- Subscriptions of podcasts on iTunes reached the 1 billion mark in 2013. - Apple

- 39 Million Americans listen to podcasts monthly. - Edison Research 

- In the case of podcasts, the air literally thrums, our eardrums vibrate, and the cliche of the human touch is physicalized. The emphatic encounter in a podcast can be comforting and satisfying. 

- Podcasts understand circumstances with a different kind of nuance and immediacy than print can muster.

- The moment we lose faith, it becomes increasingly excruciating to keep listening, intimacy curdles into invasiveness. 

- Out of 186 ads, 162 (87%) were for products/services that acquire customers online. Advertisements have increased from 60% to 80%. 

The article is in huge favour of podcasts and believes that they’re worthwhile and educational, listening to them is not a waste of time unlike roaming the internet for other things in particular such as scrolling down your Facebook feed. They’re flexible to adapt and portable, meaning you can listen to it wherever and whenever suits you. Podcasts are the internet freed from pixels. 

[mgarside-blog1]

#3

Part 1:

Indicate whether you listen/have listened to podcasts, which ones, and indicate why or why not. If you have never listened to a podcast, give your impression of what they're all about.

Part 2:

Listen to two different podcasts of your choosing and answer the following questions about them. (Please choose podcasts you have NOT listened to before, and challenge yourself to try a podcast about something that might be outside of your normal realm of interest.)

1. Indicate the name of each podcast and give a brief summary of it

2. What was effective about the podcast? You can consider this question from many angles, including, but not limited to:

writing, performance, interviews, sound design, use of music, research/information, style, storytelling, how they engage with the audience, etc.

3. What was lacking or should be improved about the podcast?

Part 3:

What is unique about podcasts as a medium? You may want to frame your answer around how it is different from other audio media such as radio broadcasting.

As always, support any arguments you make with appropriate sources, and cite all of your sources, INCLUDING THE PODCASTS, properly using MLA style or the citation style of your choice.

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Part 1

Firstly I would like to begin with stating the fact that I do listen to podcasts, however less so than I used to. When I was into a certain celebrity, I would listen the podcasts they were in whether it was to promote their latest film, TV show or music, with simultaneous casual chatting included. I found them interesting, educational and very entertaining as several podcasts debate current social and political affairs, so alongside listening to and supporting my favourite artists, I would also be learning a lot from it too for example through discussions of feminism, from a podcast I was listening to last year with Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany. 

Part 2

Podcast 1

1) WTF Podcast with Marc Maron featuring Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer - A podcast discussing their backstories, introducing where they come from, what life was like for them growing up, their family life, etc. Essentially promoting their TV show ‘Broad City’ and listing their character portrayals alongside the comical storylines, whilst at the same time illustrating how their show tackles current issues within society. 

2) I found the podcast effective as the two guests are both very current, open minded activists, involving themselves in numerous social movements and marches/protests to fight for important issues such as womens rights, black lives matter and anti-trump campaigns. Learning this allows listeners to connect and admire these two women, creating that relationship between the listener and the speaker therefore the audience most likely enjoying the context more so than they would if they had a lack of knowledge on the guests. The writing/performance style seems pretty improvised, no heavy interview questions of any sort just light, laid back conversing between the speakers. Humour is present throughout the podcast as both guests are comical artists and write their own material.

3) I believe the thing that the podcast was lacking mostly on was music, I just thought it seemed a little dry with a few silences at times which would’ve felt more comfortable with quiet background music, also keeping it upbeat and lively for both speakers and the audience.

Podcast 2

1) The Guilty Feminist - Male Privilege with Kate O’Donnell - A lighthearted podcast discussing feminism and male privilege with an engaging, cheering audience reacting to the humorous comments from the speakers. A comical piece mocking modern day society regarding women. “Each episode begins with short stories starting with the words "I'm a feminist, but...", with the episode's hosts admitting to moments where they have done or thought something that an ideal feminist wouldn't. Episodes are based around a theme; topics of discussion have included stereotypes, hair removal, periods, and not having children”

2) This podcast is extremely effective as I find the host hilarious, her points towards patriarchy and heteronormativity were painfully accurate - both entertaining the audience and educating them on serious matters at the same time. The inclusion of audience participation and the fact that you can hear their response encourages laughter from listeners who are not physically in the audience. The performance style is informal, audience engaging, explicit and highly humorous. 

3) The podcast could have been improved by perhaps an inclusion of acting sketches or feminist themed improvisation, I think that would add a nice touch, complementing the comical side, also improving the entertainment aspect. 

Part 3

Podcasts are unique from other mediums as for obvious reasons there are no visuals, you can really just pay attention to their voice and truly take in what the speaker is saying with no visual distractions. I find podcasts different to radio broadcasts as podcasts are often more relaxed and easy going, with conversation flowing casually and naturally - discussing things in a chatty way whilst at the same time slightly promoting their work. Whereas radio broadcasts I find a lot more professional, strict about time and content (aka no explicit language). The purpose of radio broadcasts are primarily to promote and publicize a certain artists current project, and less of an aim to entertain unlike podcasts. 

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8xlxUH9gMA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDQjv7JUX1o

[mgarside-blog1]

#2

Schafer vs. Schaeffer

R. Murray Schafer’s and Pierre Schaeffer’s ways of thinking about sound(s), while part of a continuum, are fairly different.

Outline their perspectives, and compare and contrast* them.

Do you tend to appreciate one perspective more than the other? (Are you on Team Schafer or Team Schaeffer?) Indicate why or why not.

Use examples.

Cite your sources.

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R Murray Schafer (1933-) is a Canadian composer, an environmentalist, educator, scholar and visual artist. He was born in Sarnia, Ontario and raised in Toronto. Pierre Schaeffer (1910-1995) was a French composer, broadcaster, writer, acoustician, musicologist and engineer. He was born in Nancy, France and is one of the most influential figures in modern music.

Although they're both sound pioneers, both withheld their own thoughts, views and perspectives on sound. Schafer believes that “the world suffers from an overpopulation of sounds” (The Soundscape, P71). He speaks of the *Industrial Revolution and how this introduced soundscape, also a “multitude of new sounds with unhappy consequences for many of the natural and human sounds which they tended to obscure; and this development was extended into a second phase when the *Electric Revolution added new effects of its own and introduced devices for packaging sounds and transmitting them schizophonically across time and space to live amplified or multiplied existences.” He believes that noise has an occurring damaging effect on people, especially sounds of the city, creating pleas for anti-noise legislation and urban soundscape improvements through the reduction of potentially destructive sounds. The term scizophonic refers to the split between an original sound and its electro acoustic reproduction in a soundscape, meaning that any sound could be recorded and sent anywhere around the world. Schafer states that the sounds occurring at one time in one place only are original, and that recorded sounds that can be repeated are split from the original sound.

*Industrial Revolution - The rapid development of industry that occurred in Britain in the late 18th and 19th centuries, brought about by the introduction of machinery. It was characterized by the use of steam power, the growth of factories, and the mass production of manufactured goods. (Oxford Dictionary)

*Electric Revolution - The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of rapid industrialization in the final third of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. In the same time period, new technological systems were introduced, most significantly electrical power and telephones.

Schaeffer is most known for exploring and experimenting with sounds, pioneering a radical innovation in 20th century music: musique concrète. Musique concrete is defined as music constructed by mixing recorded sounds, and is one of the most influential musical production techniques, still used by music producers today. A famous question he once asked was: “Why should a civilization which so misuses its power have, or deserve, a normal music?”

“Schaeffer's ideas turned conventional music theory on its head. Traditionally, composition moved from the abstract to the concrete — from concept and written notes to actual sounds. Schaeffer’s approach reversed the process, beginning instead with fragments of sound—field recordings of both natural and mechanical origin—which were then manipulated using studio techniques.”

Schaeffer aimed to create music that merged art with science and composition with engineering. A clear example of musique concrete in modern day music is shown within Anna Kendrick's 'When I'm Gone', with regular objects and every day sounds from their origin being used and manipulated to create a rhythm and beat:

Both theories explore and highlight the ways in which we can create things from sound technology, and both withhold valid beliefs regarding sound production, however I am in favour with Schaeffer's views and his technique to making music. A good beat to a song is so important and in my opinion that is exactly what musique concrete provides.

Sources

https://www.musiccentre.ca/node/37315/biography

http://homepage.smc.edu/tobey_christine/varese/schaef.html

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/industrial_revolution

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Industrial_Revolution

https://www.sfu.ca/sonic-studio/handbook/Schizophonia.html

https://courses.ryerson.ca/d2l/le/content/151585/viewContent/1712995/View

http://www.factmag.com/2016/02/23/pierre-schaeffer-guide/

[mgarside-blog1]

#1

Part 1 

In-class Listening Exercise 

Instructions: Go sit or stand alone somewhere. Turn off mobile devices and get rid of any distractions. Don’t talk. Be still. LISTEN.

A sound (or sounds) that is above you:

Subtle piano playing 4.32pm

A sound (or sounds) that is below you:

Several cars driving through Danforth Ave 4.32pm

A sound (or sounds) that moves from left to right (and/or right to left):

Footsteps from apartment above walking left to right 4.44pm

A sound (or sounds) that has a repetitive rhythm:

Piano instrumental 4.34pm

The loudest sound you heard:

Police sirens 4.56pm

The quietest sound you heard:

My cat breathing 4.36pm

A sound (or sounds) that was present the whole time you were listening:

Cars driving and somebody that lives above me playing piano 4.37pm

A sound (or sounds) that happened only once:

Person shouting outside 4.41pm

A sound (or sounds) that started off loud and got quieter (and/or vice-versa):

Somebody walking up the stairs 4.43pm

The most pleasant sound you heard. Why?

Soft female singing voice, it sounds so pure and vocals are good; singing Back To Black by Amy Winehouse 4.48pm

The most unpleasant sound you heard. Why?

Motorbike revving: it was loud, unexpected and unnecessary 4.49pm

Part 2

1) Through this exercise I discovered that noise surrounds you constantly, whether you notice it or not. We’re so familiar with every day sounds that we struggle to remain aware, so to sit back and really take in every noise that encircles you really helps you to pick up on sounds that we usually automatically block out unconsciously, I also find that paying attention to the sounds I am hearing helps me to stay mindful in a situation. I realised that living in a city, you hear contrasting sounds to what you hear living rural. 

2) Michel Chion claims, in his book Audio Vision, that there are three modes of listening, each addressing different objects. Firstly there is casual listening; casual listening is ‘the most common and the most easily influenced and deceptive mode of listening’. He also states 

“Causal listening can take place on various levels. In some cases we can recognize the precise cause: a specific person's voice, the sound produced by a particular unique object. But we rarely recognize a unique source exclusively on the basis of sound we hear out of context.”

The second mode is semantic listening, which refers to language or code as a way of signalling a message and a form of communication through spoken language, morse code etc.

“This mode of listening, which functions in an extremely complex way, has been the object of linguistic research and has been the most widely studied. One crucial finding is that it is purely differential. A phoneme is listened to not strictly for its acoustical properties but as part of an entire system of oppositions and differences. Thus semantic listening often ignores considerable differences in pronunciation (hence in sound) if they are not pertinent differences in the language in question. Linguistic listening in both French and English, for example, is not sensitive to some widely varying pronunciations of the phoneme a.”

Lastly, the final mode: reduced listening. This term refers to the actual noise produced from a certain object or through spoken language. 

“Pierre Schaeffer gave the name reduced listening to the listening mode that focuses on the traits of the sound itself, independent of its cause and of its meaning.3 Reduced listening takes the sound— verbal, played on an instrument, noises, or whatever—as itself the object to be observed instead of as a vehicle for something else.”

3) After this exercise, the question that I would ask is: Would my results vary if I was a child/older woman? Would I pick up on different sounds, for example children hearing high pitched tones over older generations. 

Sources

https://monoskop.org/images/6/6d/Chion_Michel_Audio-Vision.pdf