Well, Mother Nature is scheduled to turn the temperature back down--bummer! So you may not want to trek all the way to the Nature Park to do this experiment after all.
Read "Symphonies of Place," which begins on page 9 of The Listening Book.
Using the two examples Mr. Mathieu shares as models, your mission is to write three "symphonies of place." Go to three different places, and spend a few minutes listening carefully. As he suggests, try eyes open and closed, and try cupping your ears with your hands. Do at least one outside and one inside.
It's fine to do this using paper and a pencil or pen. Share one of them (typed) in a comment below.
As I sit in the aptly named bum alley, I hear many students busily chattering about many things both related and unrelated to music and their studies. The chairs around me softly groan and creak under the weight of all the people who have sat in them. All the voices are different. One is high and shrill, one is quite low in timbre, one is very loud and nasal, and one is quiet. I hear some folk at another table farther away whose dull voices barely register in my ears. I can't understand what they are talking about. A door just opened and closed upstairs with a thud and the one downstairs leading outside gave it's signature clang. The pitter patter of someone's light feet sound up the stairs. A YouTube video of some rock song is playing behind me, not louder than the actual peoples' voices though. It suddenly got very quiet, a lull in the conversation perhaps.
ReplyDeleteSitting in the Julian building on campus, I hear papers flipping anxiously as students study for their midterms. Above me I hear laughter from girls who I assume are attempting to study together, but also the clicks of fingers typing on a keyboard. Behind me a low voice is tutoring another student in some subject I don't know, and I hear low chatter towards the right of me. A ping of an iPhone goes off quickly to be silenced. I hear the resinating sound of the light fixtures of the building ringing in the background. Who knew all of these little noises could be kind of peaceful.
ReplyDeleteSitting in the reed room where I spend a lot of time, i hear nothing but my breath and the buzz of the lights. The quiet sound of Bach coming from my computer draws my attention. I know I'm suppose to stay quiet but I really want to hum the melody of Bach's Italian Concerto for harpsichord. I hear a vacuum in the distance, the custodian doing his daily rounds. I start to nod off The fact that it's almost 10PM and I've had a long tiring day will do the trick. I rock back and forth in my chair, the noise of the rusty hinges comes right between the second and third movements of the concerto.
ReplyDeleteI'm in my room sitting on my bed. The door is closed and I am alone. As I listen, I can hear the mechanical sounds of the electricity running through the building. I can hear the TV in the room down the hall. I can hear the football players yelling to each other. I hear the wind outside as it shakes my window. Doors open and close. Expletives are hollered by way of greeting, and suddenly, peace returns.
ReplyDeleteAs I sit in the great hall at 9:30 at night in the midst of finals week, I hear the sounds of papers and backpacks shifting around me. I hear the occasional footsteps of the people walking on the tile. The exact sound of the footsteps changes depending on many things - the size of the person, the shoes they're wearing, how they carry their weight, etc. It suddenly becomes very quiet. I hear the high ringing of the lights in the hall and the sounds of the machines running in Cafe Allegro. I then hear talking and laughing in the distance coming from somewhere else in the GCPA. There is more chatter among the people around me at this point. There is the occasional loud sound of the doors around the rotunda opening and closing. Someone starts snapping and whistling. People are saying hello to the people walking by that they know. I hear people order at the cafe and talk to each other about their days. Once again I hear laughing coming from down the hall off of the great hall. I close my eyes and try to hear everything at once. I am successful. The sensation is almost like an out of body experience...almost as if I'm only a spectator, not a participant, in this syphmonie.
ReplyDeleteWhile I sit in the practice room during the busiest time in my day, I decide to just sit still for moment. I hear the far off laughter of other students and faculty members weaving in and out in length and pitch. A few doors shut, some quietly, some slamming. The slamming doors make me think of all the anxiety floating around during midterms. I heard more doors slamming during midterms than any other time of the year. I hear far off high G's and A's floating above the entire ensemble. A violin playing a high arching melody above a very rhythmic trumpet, a piano pounding out a dramatic waltz, a few voices chattering lowly, and last but not least the soft clanking of lockers. All of the sounds combined together and work as one piece together in my head.
ReplyDeleteAs I sit at my desk, after studying for a theory midterm, I first hear the steady hum of the air conditioner. The gentle dripping of the water from my fountain that is relaxing me and making me even more tired. I hear the wind from the open window and the occasional car drive by outside. I hear the laughter of someone walking past my open window outside. The electric sounding buzz from my desk lamp. I think my dorm room makes a symphony is beautiful. Calm, peaceful and water like - the perfect environment for sleeping.
ReplyDeleteDuring my run at the nature park, I stop and pull out my phone. As my panting and breathing has relaxed, my ears transfer their focus from that to the air. There is a fuzzy silence, I think my ears are in shock by this. I hear the sounds of leaves falling, very subtly, and then pick up the sounds of life. Squirrels running through trees and bushes, birds calling out to each other from across the query. In the distance, something else brews. It is disgusting and unnatural. Construction. Cars. Horns. I don't know how these animals cope with the noise level of this town. Okay I am going to run now.
ReplyDeleteAs I sit in recital hour I hear the sounds of beautiful music being played, but I hear other things as well. I hear the sounds that the performers make. The breathing of the percussionist through his nose to keep his focus steady as he plays. I hear the tapping of instrumentalists feet as they keep the tempo of their music. I also hear the quiet murmur of voices in the audience. Their comments on performers and even some quiet rustling of papers. The last minute studying sounds before exams.
ReplyDelete9:25pm: I'm sitting outside on the block of concrete behind Thompson and Kresge where trucks unload equipment. Things I hear:
ReplyDeleteA high pitched buzzing- the buzz of lightbulbs? or is it a tinkling aural collage of crickets? A sedan drives past, and on top of that I can hear a big car speeding a few streets away. A car door beeps as it unlocks. A car stops on the street, the (definitely student) driver yells, "Get in!" and the passenger says "okay," gets into the car, and the door slams shut. A motorcycle races by. When the vehicular noise calms down, I hear the soft etching of my fountain pen on my paper and the jingle of my room key on its chain.
While sitting in Peeler after my philosophy class, I hear echoes of heavy steps and quick paces. I hear the humming a girl listening to her iPod through head phones and I hear papers crunching in unsteady hands. The floors are being cleaned and beat of the mop hitting the ground keeps an almost steady tempo.
ReplyDeleteI sat in the lobby of my dorm and it was pure silence. Which was nice, to be honest. But after a while it was hard to maintain my focus on the task of relaxing so my mind stopped listening to the elevator and the laundry room. But for a while, it was pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteI chose to sit in Theta Gardens. As one of my favorite spots on campus, I got caught up in the pale blue sky, and how chilly it was last night. The mind numbing cold was the only thing I could focus on, so I left quickly. However, it was peaceful before I started freezing (I wasn't wearing a jacket).
ReplyDeleteI sit in the great hall. It's surprisingly empty for the middle of the day on a Monday. The Chamber singers provide the loudest background noise: they practice in the rotunda. Their sound floats through the hall gorgeously. The ethereal sound is occasionally broken by Professor Boerger's instructions. There's a bit of chatter passed between friends in the hall, but it's kept quiet to listen to the singers. I am immediately calm and focused.
ReplyDelete