Listening Exercise

I did this exercise in the living room of my apartment.


1. 3-5 minutes. While intently listening, make a list of the sounds you hear (i.e. car, birds, etc), in the order you hear them.

-Clock ticking
-Car door slamming
-Engine starting up and car driving away
-Door closing in the apartment next door
-Another car engine, further away
-Thumping next door
-Computer "thinking" noises
-Music from a car (just the bass)
-Bird chirp
-Heater turning on in apartment
-Car driving by
-Door slamming


2. 3-5 minutes. Now describe the sounds according to such qualities as pitch, rhythm, volume, texture, location/distance (i.e. loud, screechy, fast, close-by, etc)

-Car engine, low, far away vibration
-Clock ticking, loud, close, abrupt, high pitched, rhythmic
-Bird chirping, high pitched but far away, faint, almost desperate sounding, wavering
-(Damn that clock is annoying)
-Another bird chirping, much louder and closer screech, authoritative
-Train whistle, smooth, changing pitch as it gets closer, constant, almost woody sound
-Computer processing, slow, low pitched, abrupt noises, crunchy sounding


3. 3-5 minutes. Now, just listen. Take the sounds in without engaging in mental processes (as much as possible). When your mind wanders to something, notice it, and gently take your attention back to the soundscape.

4. 3-5 minutes. Focus now on your interior soundscape. Call sounds to mind (perhaps from a memory, or familiar sounds you miss, etc). Hold them there and contemplate them as you did in #3.

In your blog document the place you did the exercise and the information you collected in #1 and #2, and report on your experiences in #3 and #4.

As expected, I had trouble keeping my mind from wandering. I had to constantly bring myself back to the moment after I heard a sound that made me think of something else, completely unrelated. It was interesting however, to realize just how loud a seemingly quiet situation can be. I did this exercise in my apartment in the morning, a time when most people are asleep, and I didn't think there would be much for me to write down. There were all sorts of noises though, high pitched and low pitched that I wouldn't have picked up on otherwise.

When focusing on my interior landscape, I though of morning sounds from home that I miss. My dog pattering across the floor, the sound of my dad showering before work. My bedroom at home is right above the kitchen and I can always hear conversations and the clinking of silverware in the morning, while I'm still in bed. I also remembered late afternoons growing up, when my mom was starting to cook dinner. She always listened to "Prairie Home Companion" and I could always hear faint sounds of bluegrass or Stephane Grapelli coming through the vent or from the living room.

Phantasmagoria: A Review

Phantasmagoria was a great success, although the actual event evolved quite a bit from the original idea.

The event required quite a bit of planning. I had to consider:

-Where to set up
-Power source?
-How to hang my sheet
-How to hang the cutouts
-Any external light sources that may affect shadows
-Supplies?

I decided that the Moseley front lawn would be the best, most traveled spot to catch people's eyes.