Notes for November 4th, 2009

Presentation: Tasman Richardson

His work corresponds with the rise of MTV, the emergence of commercialization and VHS cassettes. His desire lays in the deconstruction of sound. Richardson's work can be divided into two phases, his earlier and later compositions. They combine aural and visual landscapes.

Mediation:

There is a close circuit between sound and vision - No outside influence. The audience is bombarded with image and sound oversaturation. In addition, there is an influence of channel flipping,

Richardson reverses the relationship between sound and image. In hollywood, images are a predominant factor. Normally sound is part of the background. In Richardson's compositions, sound is the predominant factor.

"I stole the soul of Rock & Roll"

Involves the obstruction of sound, appropriation of video and the distortion of images. Over mediation.

"The Game" - My favourite piece.

Highly oversaturated. Consists of artificial sound. Our ideas of war are constructed by movies. "The construction of sound." Sound plays an important role in the assimilation of an image.

The AVANT-GARDE - involves experimentation, discontinuity over continuity, unconventional over conventional.

His excess of oversaturating oversaturation falls into the avant-garde mode. In order to get a message across, he is taking it to the next level through extreme oversaturation. I prefer extremities.

Project 2 Ideas

I was thinking about noise pollution and the idea that certain prolonged exposure to technical or artificial sound can be psychologically and physically damaging. I want to figure out the accuracy of this theory, since I work at a photo lab, which consists of various technological sounds. For my first project, I tried to capture the sounds of my work environment.

I am also thinking about the meaning of soundscape. The imposition of man-made or animal sounds on sounds of nature. For my second project, I will probably create a composition that involves both artificial and natural sound.

EDT:

I created a composition that involves wind, airplane, car and traffic sound. The first layer consists of only wind. For the second layer, I combined sounds of airplanes and cars. I have to admit this makes for an interesting war zone like piece.

EDT:

I do believe that noise pollution is a socially constructed theory. People are culturally trained to think that certain noises are annoying, too loud or irritating. I realized that if you already have pre-conceived notions about certain sounds, you will end up covering your ears or turning away.

For example, I had pre-conceived thoughts about being nervous during the presentation. When I presented, I was definitely nervous.

Notes for October 21, 2009 continued

Presentation Janet Cardiff

Her work deals with illusion, sound and space.

"The Missing Voice" is audio based - involves audio walks and a narrative voice. This piece evolves around a women and city life. It sounds like a detective story. The artist is directing the fictional world that she has created, which involves the public space and unconsciousness. She is basically dramatizing her life, making life more cinematic. Humans are someway dramatizing moments in life.

Can hear footsteps, gun shots, helicopter and an ambulance. This makes for an exciting piece.

2nd work: Munster Walk from 1998.

This piece grabs the atmosphere of Germaness. It is part of a sculpture exhibition. She addresses both the history and memory of Germany combined with her own interpretation of the space.

3rd piece: Forty Part Motet

40 speakers in 8 groups. Each speaker must play a recording of one voice in the group singing Spem in Alium by English composer Thomas Tallis.

It plays with the idea of role and position of the audience. Furthermore it also incorporates the experience and view point of the singers.

4th piece: Video Walks: In Real Time.

Paradise Institute (2001)

I find this to be an interesting work because it involves sound, film images and the experience of the audience/spectator - the overlapping of all three.

Audience is immersed within the environmental sound. One may experience feelings of eeriness. This work also plays with fictional and realistic boundaries.

Notes for October 21, 2009.

Presentation:

John Cage - composer, philosopher, musician etc.

Two major works - 4 minutes and 33 seconds by David Tudor

1951 - consisted of echoes in the room. There are high and low sounds in a room. High = nervous system Low = blood.

John cage was influenced by Emmanuel Kent and his idea about two things that don't really mean anything, that being, music and laughter. Sound cannot be more than it really is.

John cage wanted to hear silence in 4 minute and 33 seconds piece but he found that to be impossible. This is quite the controversial piece in that audiences expected much more.

Question to ponder: What would the reaction be then and now? What would the audience reaction be since they expected a big performance?

Second piece: Water Walk - This piece was more about environment sounds than silence.

Is he trying to make a statement or is it accidental? John Cage pushes the buttons of audiences in order to get a reaction. Laughter an important part of performance.

Chance and Determinancy

Draws attention to unwanted sounds. Disrupts experience of what is to be performed. Audience is conditioned to focus on what is in front of them.

Additional Notes for September 30th.

SCHIZOPHONIC

There is a difference between the original sound and its reproduced version. Sound does indeed change once recorded with technological instruments, hence, the word electroacoustic.

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"Knizak" - phonograph - hands on device.

"De Marims"

Reads ancient form of decoding laser. It is not intended as sound recording.

"NEU"

William S. Burroughs.

Tape as material. Tape used as an aesthetic.

"Reymols" - Blank tapes are digitized.

"Larie Anderson" - Tape-o-Violin

Anton Bruhn - pausing repeatedly - discrete intervals to produce unique sound.

Notes for September 30th

Christian Marclay presentation:

I truly enjoyed Christian Marclay's work. One aspect involves records. He unconventionally uses records to create music. His methods include: breaking records, shaking records, and scratching records etc. Normally scratching or skipping are avoided, especially in club scenes. However, that ruins the whole purpose of the record. What makes a record different from the rest is the scratching and uneven playing of music.

By using unwanted sounds, his performances are indeed enjoyable and fascinating. He is enforcing their importance by taking it to the next level. Furthermore, he accompanies these intricate sounds with visual footage.

Ideas for Project 1

I've decided to play my work place as an instrument. I work at a one hour photo lab, which consists of a variety of interesting sounds. I will use and manipulate the sounds to create a composition, hopefully, a lot of high pitched tones. It will involve the appropriation of technology.

Instructional piece: What determines an annoying sound? Is it psychological OR does it actually cause physical pain?

Questions that should be asked? Is sound just sound or have people convinced themselves that a certain sound is annoying because of social and cultural influences.

I could ask this question in class: How many people on a normal day would find these sounds annoying.

Notes for myself: What is the difference between noise and sound? What are the different definitions that involve performance?