1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
The reason I picked Gary Ferrington's article was because of the poetic quality of how he describes the city. His descriptions of the sounds paint a detailed picture, one that it better appreciated by the fact that I, too, live in a city like his. The fact that he lives in a taller apartment building and can hear for miles also intrigued me a little bit. Normally you think of a high point as a lookout, a place where someone can see for miles. It makes sense that that would hold true for sound, but that is just not how we commonly think. Visual first, right? Ferrington makes observations that stand out to me as well. Not only did he write about the sounds he hears but makes a mention of the lack of sounds in the winter. Many of the sounds you expect to hear from a city vanish at the falling of snow. Also, his observations don't always stop with describing the sounds he hears or where it came from. At a few points he goes into implying why the sound is that way. The churches both have bells, but the older, more used and worn bell has a mellow sound, while the newer bell is crisp and loud, overpowering the sounds around it. The way he wrote this peice made it very interesting.

2. What are the main points of the essay?

The main points of this essay, as it applies to our assignment, is to pay close attention to sound. Don't just hear it and dismiss it, but look for it. There is never a moment in which we can't hear something. When there is lots going on, pick it apart. In his writing, he doesn't say it just sounds like a city. He says that there is the sound of the train that you can hear three miles away because of how high up he is. Also, certain settings have expected sounds. In the morning birds can be heard chirping, rush hour holds the sounds of continuos motors and wheels, if you live by a park you can expect the sounds of kids, these are where and when the sounds are. When that changes, in winter for example, it is very noticable.

3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?

This article is written in a way that makes the reader appreciate the sounds that they hear. That is something that a sound media artist needs to do. And, by appreciate I don't simply mean enjoy the fact that the sounds are there, but to understand that there is always a sound in every situation. If I am recording something, I need to take in to account backround noise. What else is going on in this moment that my busy mind is missing? What would my recording feel like without that backround noise? Do I need those sounds to make the setting, or are they distracting to the main focus? It opens up the idea of painting a picture with sound. That is a very useful concept when shooting. A park with no twittering birds, and a water fountain without the sound of splashing water wouldn't feel right. Little sounds are important.

Soundwalk

* Were you able to find places and spaces where you could really listen?
It was easier to listen out by the trees in the woods or in the quieter indoors.
* Was it possible to move without making a sound?
Not really.
* What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them?
The higher frequency sounds dropped out and internal sounds were more apparent.
* In your sound log exercise, what types of sounds were you able to hear? List them.
Cars, shuffling through grass, scratching of pen on paper, twigs and dry leaves, wind on leaves, buildings blowing air, a few birds, a really loud fountain, bike chains, skateboarders, The list is practically endless.

* Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place?
That depended on the area. In the Union, for example, everything came from everywhere, but you could tell where the fountain was when outside.

* Human sounds? Mechanical sounds? Natural sounds?
Most people sounds were people talking or the sound of walking. There were some birds, but the most apparent natural sound was wind on leaves. Mechanical sounds ranged from cars, motorcycles, buses, airplanes, air vents and conditioning, metal clanking and such.
* Were you able to detect subtleties in the everpresent drone?

* Extremely close sounds? Sounds coming from very far away?
Closer sounds were sharper and clearer. Obviously you could tell the direction easier and make out what it was. The further away a sound, the harder to pinpoint it and the less crisp it was.
* 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)?
The leaves were the main one. Also, the clairity of sound changed from how windy it was. If wind picked up, other sounds were less clear.
* 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.?
Yes, I found a metal chain on a pole and kicked it. There was an immediate clank and the pole resonated for a bit
* Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape?
Well, I spent a lot of time taking pictures outside and taking odd routed walks so this excersize wasn't too new for me. It's weird to have it as an assignment. I will say that I never really payed that much attention to machine noise from buildings though.

* How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all?
It will help make me more aware of room noise when I'm recording, that is for sure.