Reading Response 3

1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.

The article I have chosen was Paul Miller's Material Memories. I chose to read it because he raises interesting questions about our world and how some people enact within. He stresses the importance of looking at images and different ways of seeing. He also talks about how forms of surrealists ideas are conveyed with the entertainment industry.

2. What are the main points of the essay?

I believe his main points dealt with raising questions which may interest an individual and responding in a critical manner. Millers points out to important ideas which may benefit an artist and how one composes work. He agrees that "The screen was a place where the sense of vision was conveyed by time". Time plays an important role with all artistic pieces as it emphasis parts that make up a time capsule.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?When working in the studio my goal is often to manipulate images in a way which complements time within a specific setting. I try to utilize all figures, cut-aways, and background information needed in order to influence or to make a viewer believe.

Video Hardware/Software Response

How was your experience with the Olympus digital camera?
My experience with the Olympus digital camera was alright. I enjoyed taking photos with the camera and felt it was a better experience than the record feature. When I was out in the field I would fill up my card easily. I would find myself recording 1 event at a time, returning home to export it to my pc, thanreturning to the field again.
How did it compare with other still or video cameras you have previously used?
Compared to other cameras I have used so far in my schooling, I felt the Olympus camera was a lower end camera. I dont see myself using the Olympus camera for any of my personal projects. I have to say that the 4.0 mega pixels have a nice quality.
Were you able to successfully implement your Image Capturing Strategies using the features of this camera?
Yes I had fun, enjoyed the experience.
In an ideal world, how would your still/video camera of choice function?
My choice of camera would be a 35mm camera. Panasonic or JVC . One that could be used for documentary shooting or Narrative.
2. Discuss your choice of video-editing software and describe your history with this software. If you used this software for the first time, explain why you chose this particular application and how you think it helped you to accomplish your creative goals (or proved detrimental). Will you use this software again for future projects?
I have experience with Final Cut Pro, but I decided not to take that route, just because I wanted to try something different. The Quick Time Pro experience was very basic. The software was very limited as far as what one could do creatively. I didnt mind working with quicktime pro for the Drift 1 project.

Reading Respone #2 John Cage

John Cage's article "the future of music:credo" focuses on earlier music of the late 18th,19th century and how artist tend to go back to styles within these periods. Cage instructs that artist shall explore the future of sound properties. Cage talks about artists using sounds just for effect reasoning, lacking rhythm and uniquness. He also talks about how we are "shielded from new sound experiences". In the article he defines what a "Thereministes" is and argues that instead of exploring new sounds within the field, we try to create things that have been done in the past.
I found this article relevant to what I have experienced as a die-hard fan of music and film. In music as far as sound playing a factor, I often hear the repetiveness of certain percussion being used to create a particular tone. I have always believed that a tone or mood can be conveyed by exploring a range of dissonance and consonance. While pursuing my drift 1 and 2 projects I try to remove myself from recording spaces that are too familiar. Reason why is that I can see how one will be limited and have less control of creating something new. Considering what John Cage says about encountering something new, I try to think outside the box, so when it comes to the editing stage, my chances of creating new rhythms will be high. I find exploring areas that are not familiar to me, very helpful as it motivates me to keep my eyes and ears open. In drift 2 I hope to come across sounds and imagery that are far better than what was captured in Drift 1.

10 Questions

1. Are there any back roads that lead to something interesting?
Each road would have its own uniqueness as to what it could provide sound wise. There was not one path I would take that would make it better compared to the other paths taken.
2. Is there a house that has a very unique and interesting architecture?
None that I had walked by.
3. Are there any places where sound takes on a strange quality?
No.
4. Where can I find the strangest sight within my Drift area?
Mitchell Park.
5. What differences are there on Lake Michigan between night and day?
I have not tested this as an experiment.
6. Are there any places where one can make a complete 180 degree turn and only see nature?
No, except for Mitchell Park.
7. Are there any buildings that will give me access to a high and panoramic view?
No
8. Is there some kind of elaborate garden in the area?
N/A
9. Are there any kind of monuments in the area?
No
10. Are there any bodies of water (other than Lake Michigan) in the area?
There were small ponds in the Mitchell Park area where ducks would chill-out

Drift Assesment

1. Describe two situations that aggravated, bothered, shocked or otherwise stressed you during Drift 1. (Please note that the situation CANNOT be technology-related.)
I would sometimes get annoyed by noise distractions that would occur while I was pursuing a recording out in the field. I would sometimes have cars pass by that were very noise or I would have people stare while I recorded. On one of the dritf 1 sounds I had posted, specifically the chainsaw recording I was shocked by the turn-out being that I had to record close by a fence. I had thought I would not receive as much details of the buzzing chainsaw because of a fence that bordered the shack. Otherwise patience was the key for myself while capturing sounds within the field.

2. Describe, with details, two situations during Drift 1 in which you felt unusually peaceful, at ease, or contemplative.
The first situation was when I recorded the sounds of a man working on his car while a dog was barking out of a window. I remember the sky had just darken and the neighborhood was just beginning to come alive with people walking around. I felt more at ease because I knew people would be less distracted as to what I was doing with my microphones aimed in various angles. The second time I recorded sound at ease in a crowded setting was inside of a grocery store. I had just got so comfortable within the store that I would record around 10 minutes of ambient sound and action in the same period.

3. Describe three surprises or unexpected situations you encountered on your Drift and in the days that followed. The surprise could stem from your expectations that conflicted with "on the ground" realities, cultural or social issues of which you were previously unaware, feelings and reactions that you did not expect to have, appearances and soundings of things you did not expect, good or bad outcomes of "on the spot" decisions you had to make, or the discovery of "deeper" realities in the materials you brought home. (Again, skip anything technology-related!)
I was really surprised when I had came across an argument coming from a house. At first I did not realize where the noise had came from until the sound had traveled then I would find myself standing underneath a window, where the sound was coming from. I would quickly press the record button and set up the microphone so that I could receive good quality. During this time it was daylight and I was wondering if I would be caught in the action of recording sounds from the argument between mother and son. As I would come aware of my surroundings, that when I would see neighbors 2 houses down staring at me in curiosity. But I would just continue recording as if I were trying to do something non-related to recording or being conscious.
4. Describe your favorite experience, situation, place, or recollection from your Drift. Be specific about what happened, how you felt, how you reacted, and why you think this particular experience affected you so much.
My favorite experience would have to be when I was recording birds feeding each other. This was not posted to my drift 1 blog because there were certain challenges that I was unable to control. On this day I were walking down a street on the south side were it was quiet and you could hear almost anything. It would sound like birds were having a meeting in a specific tree. I say this because the noises of the birds and from where I was standing was very close. The chirping sounds were colorful and loud. What had interrupted this recording is that a guy across the street from where the birds were located was preparing for a rummage sale. In the middle of my recording you would hear this blast of music coming from the guys TV. As I would try to mix the soundtrack the sound from the TV overlapped the noises of the birds.

Respone #1 to Jennifer E. Cross "Sense of Place"

After reading "Sense of Place" by Cross I would draw similarities from the persons that Cross interviewed and my own experiences. In Crosses essay I could relate with what Cathy calls a "Spiritual Relationship". Cathy states that her spiritual relationship with her environment is one where she feels at home.Cathy also says that she enjoys going to other places, but when it all comes down, her neighborhood or environment is one she adores.
During my Drift 1 walk yesterday evening, at times I would feel at home as I would walk the urban streets of South Milwaukee. I am not from South Milwaukee, but the sounds, appearaces,smells, and social bonds with people of different cultures would force me to reminise of my earlier years at home. I would get excited when I would hear the sounds of the Ice cream truck rolling down the street or the smells of hot charcoal as people were grilling outdoors. The scenery of people of diverse ethnic backgrounds socializing on porches and children playing together would activate this spiritual relationship I call "home".
In Cross's reading the topic of "Place Alienation" was another favorite of mine as I would relate with the participant Kathryn. Kathryn is an individual whom has lived in many places and explains why she feels different in some of those places she has lived in. She digs further on why she is not satisfied with those certain places.
I currently live in a place where I feel alienated, to a point where I tend to shy-away from enjoying the outdoors. Not to say that I live in fear in the location where I am, but I despite taking walks in the area, because of the lack of culture and the stiffness of the people. Unlike my spiritual relationship with home, I am less greeted or paid attention to when I walk the streets. The rareness of eye contact or verbal communication exists in the new place where I live now. I would say that it is more or less people friendly, compared to my spiritual relation I have with my true home.
Cross's article touched upon various connections that a person may feel or think of his or her environment. I enjoyed reading the participants point of views of their living experiences within different locations. This article forces the sound artist to establish a more intimate relationship with his or her environment
-Dominitric Griffin

Soundwalk #1

Were you able to find places and spaces where you could really listen?
Yes. I was able to separate my hearing from my physical location.

Was it possible to move without making a sound?
No I find it very hard.
What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them?
When I would plug my ears it would hide some of the sounds that I found dominant within the space/field. As for when I unplugged my ears I would hear the usual ambient noises around campus.
In your sound log exercise, what types of sounds were you able to hear? List them Vehicles accelerating, starting, horns, and enginies at various peaks. I would sometimes hear music as cars would pass by.
Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place? No
Human sounds?Foot-steps and moving of the body. Mechanical sounds?Vehicles Natural sounds?No
Were you able to detect subtleties in the everpresent drone?
Extremely close sounds?Yes,human noise such as walking and breathing. Sounds coming from very far away? The air, public transportation
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)? Leaves and paper being affected by wind
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
Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape? Yes thus far..hope to have a better understanding through the semester
How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all?It will teach myself the discipline of withdrawing from the usual soundsI would hear in an urban setting, in return search for sounds I was unfamiliar with because of my style of listening.