Soundscape 2 – Indoor Soundscape

Start February 12
Due February 22

Time on Task: In & Out of Class (5 Hours)
Course Points: 5000

Ryan Weibush and Michael Musick provide a nice framing or description of the soundscape:

A soundscape is the time-based relationship of sonic events that a person experiences from a particular location... Likewise, a soundscape is the sonic features (or events) of an area, their forms, and how these events integrate together… Like a landscape, a soundscape is a subjective phenomenon, experienced from a singular vantage point (note: this does not need be a fixed point). The relationship of events or features is dictated in part by the vantage point and the relationship (in space or time) to this singular point.

Soundscape art recognizes that there can be significance in capturing, creating, or reproducing the sounds of specific locations…. A soundscape is any location where you are. It is made up of the sonic events you are subjected to and choose to listen to. Therefore, a soundscape can be a natural setting, such as a location in the middle of a forest somewhere in the mountains. A soundscape can also be the sonic events of your bedroom, a racetrack, the middle of a city, inside the lobby of a corporate building, up in a hot air balloon, or underwater… They are defined by someone giving them the energy and attention to listen to events in space against time.

As we’re engaged in making Podcasts, or audio stories that add to the sonic environments, we choose to spotlight, we’ll do a couple different kinds of soundscapes. This soundscape, our second of three, is an INDOOR SOUNDSCAPE.

Be intentional and selective in choosing a location for your soundscape. This intentionality applies to the space, the time, and the approaches to capturing the sounds. That intentionality will help you tell a sonic story of a place.

Some sonic art offers simply the curated acoustic soundscape experience (no narration, no music, etc.). Other art provides a larger context, offers narration, overlays interviews, and more. In our projects, we’ll have an Intro, and Outro, the Soundscape itself, and relevant, appropriate Narration. Your creativity comes in your selection of a soundscape and in your narration – the story you choose to tell about the spaces in which you captured the sound(s).

Michael Musick has a really nice example of an outdoor soundscape captured from inside a bike rack. It’s not quite an “indoor soundscape,” but it does a nice job of helping us attend to or “listen” to the sounds.

Here’s his description, with a link to the audio file afterward:

I enjoyed how the resonant properties of the pipe filtered the sound and created an “other-worldly” recording. The events picked up are primarily people walking, the far off sounds of people drumming, and some sounds of people talking. But all of these events interact with each other, notably the sonic properties of the bike rack interacting in un-natural ways. I like this ability to capture the world not as we are accustomed to normally, but as though we had been able to place our head in this 1-inch diameter pipe.

https://michaelmusick.bandcamp.com/album/examples-from-intro-to-sonic-art

The “walking tour” is an approach to Soundscapes that often involve the outdoors – city, country, etc. You might elect to approach the project as a walking tour, or perhaps a montage of sounds from a particular indoor space.

Kim Goldsmith’s “Sonic Byte” from Wingham Brush Boardwalk is an extended example with a good bit of narration, context, and even social/political commentary. Here’s the link:

Clean Ocean

Here’s a nice “video” with a rich soundscape and VOX POP interview. We can close our eyes and listen to the sound of NYC.

The Task (in a nutshell)

Choose an indoor space (not your dorm room, please)! It can be on campus or off. Capture elements of the Soundscape. Remember to be intentional in selecting which sonic elements to capture. You can move around, or perhaps the space itself has enough movement for dynamism. Make an Indoor Soundscape that captures elements of the texture of the environment.

You CAN USE the voice memo app on your iPhone to record the soundscape, intro, outro, and narration. This project is a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to use some of our high-quality recording equipment to better capture the sounds. Get a recorder from Cripps or go to the Library Circulation Desk and check one out on 4-hour reserve. (You CAN borrow one, take it off campus for recording, and return it.) If appropriate for your project, select music from Free Music Archive.

The Task (unpacked)

  • Using your phone, Record a 6-10 minute Soundscape from the place you’ve chosen for your Soundscape 2 (Indoors) project (Homework)
  • Download the “Basic-5-tracks-template.band” in Podcast Resource Files & Open (Shared Google Folder) (Homework)
  • Draft your Narration Script for the Podcast – See Rubric below (Homework)
  • Draft an Intro and Outro Script for your Podcast – See Rubric below (Homework)
  • Practice your Intro, Outro, and Narration!! (Homework)
  • Record your Narration, Intro, and Outro (Listen to it with headphones before calling it “good” or “good enough”) (Homework)
  • Import the sound file into the relevant tracks in GarageBand (Homework)
  • If desired, select appropriate music or sounds for the Podcast using Free Music Archive; drop file(s) into GarageBand Project as separate Track(s) (Homework)
  • Mix your audio (consistent levels, fade in/out of tracks, and use sounds for the effect you want), making sure to adjust levels (Homework)
  • Save the project “Indoor Soundscape – YourName” (Homework)
  • Export the Rough Mix as “Indoor Soundscape Rough – YourName” (MP3 or WAV) (Homework) Be ready to share with peers
  • Upload Script, GarageBand Project, and Rough Mix export to your Shared Google Folder
  • Add final MP3 to our Transistor Show as Season 6 (name it “__________ Indoor Soundscape – YourName”)
  • Create an ePortfolio Blog Post that includes the following: Embedded Soundscape 2; 300-word description of your approach, reasons for soundscape selection, and/or your challenges; Screenshot of GarageBand Project (showing edits); CMM 225 Category.

Rubric & Points (Specifications)

The Scoring Sheet for Soundscape 2 (Indoors) Podcast

  • Podcast fits time constraints (2:15-3:35 minutes) – 500 Points
  • GarageBand Project makes use of 3 or more tracks (Narration; Intro/Outro; Soundscape) – 500 Points
  • Soundscape Captures Authentic Environment that is Focus of the Story – 750
  • Narration Content Meets Specifications (Audio Tells a Story that adds to the Soundscape); Optional music is Creative Commons-licensed and edited with care and attention – 750 Points
  • Intro Meets Specifications (5-15 Seconds; Welcomes Listeners, IDs Host, IDs Context, Purpose, and/or Content) – 500 Points
  • Outro Meets Specifications (5-15 Seconds; Credits Sources, including optional Music; Thanks Listeners) – 500 Points
  • Editing Meets Basic Specifications (Levels are Consistent; Fades between Tracks/Clips;; Pops/Hisses/Sonic Junk Edited Out at Clip Ends; ) – 500 Points
  • Exported MP3 is in Transistor Show as Season 6 – 250 Points
  • ePortfolio Blog Post includes roughly 300-word description, uses CMM 225 Category, and a screenshot of GarageBand project – 500 Points
  • Transistor Episode embedded in ePortfolio Blog Post containing description and screenshot – 250 Points