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.