Approach2_PaulK
soundSurround
There are many interpretations of peoples actions from a visual perspective- but what about sound? How do we hear the world around us? At what level do visually impaired people experience the world on a spectrum of sound? When you’re deprived or perceptually isolated in one or more of the senses, others tend to be more receptive. It leads me to wonder what makes us desire: food, sex, recreation, meditation, etc.. and how does sound play a role in the power of all that, and what we like to do, who we like to hang out with, and where we enjoy spending most of our time.. If the inside of an airplane sounded more secure,quiet, and safe.. would you be less afraid to fly? If it was your favorite white noise would you want to hear it again?
The ultimate goal is to be able to record sound files, and be able to share with others through the app. Potentially apply simple sound effects like reverb, compression, and EQ?
Expressing identity through sound: Location of user:same tech as location services/GPS on phone. Duration of recording, or limit is to be determined. Depending on if the audio files could be played back on a public playlist. The microphones on newer smart phones capture good sound.Users capture sound from a location- friends hear it- like snapchat- categories you can upload into and share with other users. Voice memos and PSA’s , friendly messages.. Contrasting peoples recordings of Transportation: Train stops in Germany vs Japan. Animals: Dogs in Chicago vs birds in Atlanta. Ambient sounds in an airplane, at a library, coffee shop, or soccer match. It would be nice to slow down and listen to the world around us. Recordings like these might be nice to listen to while trying to study.. or not.
This is an application on your phone in similarity to the voice memos feature on an iPhone. The sharing capabilities would be similar to snapchat, in that you have friends and can send direct messages, or upload for everyone to hear. Profiles and playlists would available online for people to share and engage with other users and their submissions from various locations.
How much information is lost without sound? This could explore a diverse collection of sounds from peoples lives around the world. Without allowing us to see who is recording the sound, it disassociates us with individuals(depending on content) Potentially cutting of the thoughts or judgements one might have about the person- and directs the focus into the soundscape. This could lead to collaboration between visual artists and sound designers, and also musicians.
A link I just found exactly related to the content I’m thinking would be created. Cities form around the world, with sound files categorized and uploaded by users. http://soundcities.com/
Tools:+-$550 iPhone/Smartphone (built in mic) Hourly rates for design/development of app in the US $50-$250/hr
One thought on “Approach2_PaulK”
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Hey Paul — this is really good thinking. There is actually a rich history in this area of work being done by a variety of artists and musicians; it’s usually referred to as ‘sound art’ as an overall category. The collection and presentation of unprocessed recordings of the human environment (both indoor and outdoor) is often referred to as ‘field recording’. The soundcities.com site is a great example of crowd-sourced field recording.
There are, of course, evolutionary reasons for the focus on visual information in human culture, but as both you and Joline have pointed out, it seems that there is not nearly enough focus on sonic information. And for some of us, this is an area of great interest.
You’re asking excellent questions here. Nice work!