The Nature and Practice of Soundscape Composition Bob Gluck, November 1999
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Tools for Digital Audio Recording in Qualitative Research
Sociology at Surrey University of Surrey social researchUPDATE • The technology needed to make digital recordings of interviews and meetings for the purpose of qualitative research is described. • The advantages of using digital audio technology are outlined. • The technical background needed to make an informed choice of technology is summarised. • The Update concludes with brief evaluations of the types of audio recorder currently available. Tools for Digital Audio Recording in Qualitative Research Alan Stockdale In a recent book Michael Patton writes, “As a naïveté, can heighten the sense of “being Dr. Stockdaleʼs training is in good hammer is essential to fine carpentry, there”. For discussion of the naturalization cultural anthropology. He is a a good tape recorder is indispensable to of audio recordings in qualitative research, senior research associate at fine fieldwork” (Patton 2002: 380). He see Ashmore and Reed (2000). Education Development Center goes on to cite an example of transcribers in Boston, Massachusetts, at one university who estimated that 20% Why digital? of the tapes given to them “were so badly where he currently serves Audio Quality as an investigator on several recorded as to be impossible to transcribe The recording process used to make genetics education research accurately – or at all.” Surprisingly there analogue recordings using cassette tape is remarkably little discussion of tools and introduces noise, particularly tape hiss. projects funded by the U.S. techniques for recording interviews in the Noise can drown out softly spoken words National Institutes of Health. qualitative research literature (but see, for and makes transcription of normal speech example, Modaff and Modaff 2000). -
How to Tape-Record Primate Vocalisations Version June 2001
How To Tape-Record Primate Vocalisations Version June 2001 Thomas Geissmann Institute of Zoology, Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, D-30559 Hannover, Germany E-mail: [email protected] Key Words: Sound, vocalisation, song, call, tape-recorder, microphone Clarence R. Carpenter at Doi Dao (north of Chiengmai, Thailand) in 1937, with the parabolic reflector which was used for making the first sound- recordings of wild gibbons (from Carpenter, 1940, p. 26). Introduction Ornithologists have been exploring the possibilities and the methodology of tape- recording and archiving animal sounds for many decades. Primatologists, however, have only recently become aware that tape-recordings of primate sound may be just as valuable as traditional scientific specimens such as skins or skeletons, and should be preserved for posterity. Audio recordings should be fully documented, archived and curated to ensure proper care and accessibility. As natural populations disappear, sound archives will become increasingly important. This is an introductory text on how to tape-record primate vocalisations. It provides some information on the advantages and disadvantages of various types of equipment, and gives some tips for better recordings of primate vocalizations, both in the field and in the zoo. Ornithologists studying bird sound have to deal with very similar problems, and their introductory texts are recommended for further study (e.g. Budney & Grotke 1997; © Thomas Geissmann Geissmann: How to Tape-Record Primate Vocalisations 2 Kroodsman et al. 1996). For further information see also the websites listed at the end of this article. As a rule, prices for sound equipment go up over the years. Prices for equipment discussed below are in US$ and should only be used as very rough estimates. -
The Sound Effect
COPYRIGHT AND USE OF THIS THESIS This thesis must be used in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Reproduction of material protected by copyright may be an infringement of copyright and copyright owners may be entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. Section 51 (2) of the Copyright Act permits an authorized officer of a university library or archives to provide a copy (by communication or otherwise) of an unpublished thesis kept in the library or archives, to a person who satisfies the authorized officer that he or she requires the reproduction for the purposes of research or study. The Copyright Act grants the creator of a work a number of moral rights, specifically the right of attribution, the right against false attribution and the right of integrity. You may infringe the author’s moral rights if you: - fail to acknowledge the author of this thesis if you quote sections from the work - attribute this thesis to another author - subject this thesis to derogatory treatment which may prejudice the author’s reputation For further information contact the University’s Director of Copyright Services sydney.edu.au/copyright The Sound Effect: a Study in Radical Sound Design Ian Robert Stevenson A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Architecture, Design & Planning The University of Sydney 2015 ABSTRACT ABSTRACT This research project combines a theoretical intervention into sound ontology, with an empirical investigation into listening experience, in parallel with two technologically focused, research-led creative practice projects. -
Field Recording, Technology and Creative Listening Jean-Baptiste Masson
Field Recording, Technology and Creative Listening Jean-Baptiste Masson To cite this version: Jean-Baptiste Masson. Field Recording, Technology and Creative Listening. Proceedings of the 4th International Congress on Ambiances, Alloaesthesia: Senses, Inventions, Worlds, Réseau International Ambiances, Dec 2020, e-conference, France. pp. 226-230, 10.48537/hal-03220325. hal-03220325 HAL Id: hal-03220325 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03220325 Submitted on 14 May 2021 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. 226 Field Recording, Technology and Creative Listening Abstract. While more and more used in music Field Recording, and sound art, field recording remains under Technology theorised. This paper aims to study this practice in relation to the technology and to and Creative modes of listening. I argue that field recording cannot be thought without its technological Listening tools: microphones, headphones, recorders and speakers. I discuss that this set of audio technologies acts as a way of ‘translating’ the environment by allowing for a detachment toward what is listened to. I also conceptualise listening as a creative stance. To support my claim, I deploy historical examples from the sound hunting movement alongside recent scholarly works that investigate the role of imagination and empathy in music extending this method to ambient sounds. -
The Concrete 'Sound Object' and the Emergence of Acoustical
transcultural studies 13 (2017) 239-263 brill.com/ts The Concrete ‘Sound Object’ and the Emergence of Acoustical Film and Radiophonic Art in the Modernist Avant-Garde Christopher Williams University of Technology, Sydney [email protected] Abstract Radiophonic art could not have emerged at the end of the 1920s without an intense period of experimentation across the creative fields of radio, new music, phonogra- phy, film, literature and theatre. The engagement with sound recording and broadcast technologies by artists radically expanded the scope of creative possibility within their respective practices, and more particularly, pointed to new forms of (inter-)artistic practice based in sound technologies including those of radio. This paper examines the convergence of industry, the development of technology, and creative practice that gave sound, previously understood as immaterial, a concrete objectification capable of responding to creative praxis, and so brought about the conditions that enabled a radiophonic art to materialize. Keywords radiophonic – radio – montage – Walter Ruttmann – constructivism – Grammophonmusik – Lehrstück – Dziga Vertov Absolute Beginnings It is no accident that the historical conditions that enabled the emergence of a radiophonic art intersected in Germany during the Weimar Republic, following the successful attempt to stabilize the economy previously ravaged by hyper- inflation. John Willett emphasizes the ethos of internationalism, collectivism, and a belief in the transformative -
Ars Electronica Selection 2015 (Call for Acousmatic Works) 22 & 23 May
Ars Electronica Selection 2015 (Call for acousmatic works) Marc Ainger - Shatter Alfredo Ardia – Uno Marie-Hélène Breault and Martin Bédard - Replica Alfredo Ardia – Due Marc Ainger is a sound artist and composer whose work has Marie-Hélène Breault been performed throughout the world, including the Alfredo Ardia Very active in the interpretation of contemporary music, flutist American Film Institute, the KlangArts festival, Gageego New Class 1989, I studied at LEMS (Pesaro, IT) and at CMT Marie-Hélène Breault occurred with the Contemporary Music Music Ensemble, Guangdong Modern Dance, the (Helsinki, FI). My work is focused on sound and its relation Society of Quebec (SMCQ), the Ensemble contemporain de Royal Danish Ballet, Streb, the New Circus, and Late Night and interaction with other elements in the audio-video, Montreal (ECM) and in the many events of Innovations en with David Letterman. Awards include the Boulez/LA performance and sound art fields, aimed to a language concert, codes d’accès and Jeunesses musicales du Canada. Philharmonic Composition Fellowship, the Irino International encoding. I am interested in equilibrium, synchronism and its She has given concerts abroad and has participated in several Chamber Music Competition, Musica Nova, Meet the perception, and inspired by the beauty of the physics of creations of Canadian and international composers. Since Composer, the Esperia Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council. waves. September 2008 she is the artistic director of Error Type 27 As a sound designer he has worked with the Los (E27), an organization dedicated to contemporary art in the Angeles Philharmonic, the Olympic Arts Festival, Pacific Coast Processi region of Quebec (Canada). -
Aperçu Du Genre Électroacoustique Au Québec Overview of Electroacoustic Music in Quebec François Guérin
Document generated on 09/29/2021 2:39 a.m. Circuit Musiques contemporaines Aperçu du genre électroacoustique au Québec Overview of electroacoustic music in Quebec François Guérin Électroacoustique-Québec : l’essor Article abstract Volume 4, Number 1-2, 1993 This issue opens with a detailed picture of the development of electroacoustic composition in Quebec during the last twenty years, dealing with the various URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/902061ar genres (acousmatics, mixed media, live electronics, computer-related, DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/902061ar multimedia, environmental music}, institutions and musical organizations, and its relationships with the other arts. See table of contents Publisher(s) Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal ISSN 1183-1693 (print) 1488-9692 (digital) Explore this journal Cite this article Guérin, F. (1993). Aperçu du genre électroacoustique au Québec. Circuit, 4(1-2), 9–32. https://doi.org/10.7202/902061ar Tous droits réservés © Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 1993 This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ 9 Aperçu du genre électroacoustique au Québec François Guérin Des appareils pour le moins médiocres, un aimable laisser-aller ont fait du studio de musique concrète un bric-à-brac sonore. -
Ecomusics & Ecomusicologies 2014
Ecomusics & Ecomusicologies 2014 Teaching Acoustic Ecology and Sound Art ! Dialogues Across Disciplines Thomas Ciufo Background Background and Motivations R. Murray Schafer - A Sound Education / The Thinking Ear *Schafer teaching video is online here Background and Influences Pauline Oliveros - Deep Listening Teaching Philosophy / Ideals… • Listening ! • Creativity! • Critical thinking! • Interdisciplinary collaboration! • Problem solving! • Inclusion! • Engagement Definitions? Acoustic Ecology • “The study of the effects of the acoustic environment or soundscape on the physical responses or behavioral characteristics of creatures living within it” (R. Murray Schafer) ! • “an area of education, research and practice that focuses on the scientific, social, and cultural aspects of natural and human made sound environments” (World Forum for Acoustic Ecology)! • Ecomusicology can be defined as “the study of music, culture, and nature in all the complexities of those terms. Ecomusicology considers musical and sonic issues, both textual and performative, related to ecology and the natural environment” (Allen) Core Concepts: Acoustic Ecology • Schafer suggests that we try to hear the acoustic environment as a musical composition and further, that we take responsibility for its composition ! • called for “sonological competence”— through practical exercises, such as soundwalks and listening exercises! • hopes that increased sonological competence would instill future generations with an appreciation of environmental sound! • foster a new approach -
The Smooth Space of Field Recording
1 The Smooth Space of Field Recording Four Projects Sonicinteractions, Doublerecordings, “Dense Boogie” and ‘For the Birds’ Ruth Hawkins Goldsmiths, University of London PhD MUSIC (Sonic Arts) 2013 2 The work presented in the thesis is my own, except where otherwise stated 3 Acknowledgments Many thanks to Dr John Levack Drever, who supervised this thesis, and to the following individuals and organizations who gave me permission to record their work; provided information, technical and other support; and gave me opportunities to publish or screen parts of the work presented here. Sebastian Lexer. Natasha Anderson; Sean Baxter; David Brown; Rob Lambert; John Lely; Anthony Pateras; Eddie Prevost; Seymour Wright. Oliver Bown; Lawrence Casserley; Li Chuan Chong; Thomas Gardner; Chris Halliwell; Dominic Murcott; Aki Pasoulas; Lukas Pearce; Alejandro Viñao; Simon Zagourski-Thomas. Anya Bickerstaff. Lucia H. Chung. Dr Peter Batchelor; Marcus Boon; Mike Brown; Brian Duguid; Prof Elisabeth Le Guin; Dr Luciana Parisi; Prof Keith Potter; Dr Dylan Robinson; Geoff Sample. Rick Campion; Emmanuel Spinelli; Ian Stonehouse. David Nicholson; Francis Nicholson. Dr Cathy Lane; Dr Angus Carlyle - CRiSAP; Prof Leigh Landy; Dr Katharine Norman - Organised Sound; Helen Frosi - SoundFjord; EMS; Unit for Sound Practice Research - Goldsmiths, University of London. 4 Abstract This practice/theory PhD focuses on four projects that evolved from a wider objects, each of the projects was concerned with the ways in which ‘straight’ recording and real-world environments. The dissertation and projects attempt to reconcile, what has been depicted within the acoustic ecology movement as, the detrimental effects of ‘millions’ of recording productions and playbacks on individuals and global environments, by exploring alternative conceptions of environmental recorded sound. -
NOISE & Whispers
A catalogue to support the exhibition of the same name at GV Art gallery, London 7 November to 14 December 2013 Introduction On the 11th of March 1913 the insightful Futurist Luigi paralleled by the increasing proliferation of Thank you for listening. Russolo wrote a letter to Francesco Balilla Pratella that machinery...” Martin A. Smith became known as “L'arte dei Rumori”, The Art Of And so, the notion of using noise as art was Noises. The letter became a manifesto, calling on London, October 2013 crystallised. Over a hundred years ago, the composer composers to "enlarge and enrich the field of sound", spoke to his friend of reaching out beyond the to create sound as art. confines of traditional instruments to “break at all cost Quotes from L'arte dei Rumori by Luigi Russolo from this restrictive circle of pure sounds and conquer In his letter, Russolo reflected: translated by Robert Filliou the infinite variety of noise-sounds.” “For several centuries, life went on silently, or mutedly. The loudest noises were neither intense, nor prolonged The term “sound art” went on to surface in 1983 in an nor varied. In fact, nature is normally silent, except for exhibition by William Hellerman at The Sculpture storms, hurricanes, avalanches, cascades and some Center in New York. True to Russolo’s vision, the art of exceptional telluric movements. This is why man was noise has been driven forward by human impulsion, thoroughly amazed by the first sounds he obtained out gathering pace in keeping with the heightening speed of a hole in reeds or a stretched string. -
9 Laliberte EN a COR 2
Actuality and Prospects of Pierre Schaeffer’s Thought Related as it is to the GRM’s 50th anniversary in 2008, this book on Pierre Schaeffer beckons memories, discussions, and development propositions. For my own contribution, I wanted to start by explaining my personal background and its complex ties to Schaeffer and his thought, and then quickly present how Schaefferian thought resonates in various ways throughout the pluridisciplinary department I manage and the research projects we work on. From Québec to Paris Via Los Angeles I received my initial music training in the ‘80s, in an outlying “French” capital called the city of Québec. The various “counter-cultural” – if not ‘68er – movements were coming to an end, movements in which electroacoustic music played a high-profile part as an acknowledged seal of modernity. In Québec, electroacoustic music was mostly carried by two musicians with a Schaefferian lineage: Nil Parent, at Université Laval’s music department, and Yves Daoust, at the Québec Conservatoire de Musique. There were also other active electroacousticians in the Association de musique actuelle de Québec1, such as Gisèle Ricard and Bernard Bonnier. Being a music fan and a curious-minded soul, I went on to work closely with Nil Parent from 1982 to 1987, and trained less closely with Yves Daoust and his pupils. So I was introduced to electroacoustic music composition in general and more particularly to the Schaefferian approach, through the teachings of Nil Parent, who had studied in Québec, Toronto, Stanford and Utrecht, and had been Henri Pousseur’s assistant for a while2. The ‘80s was a thrilling decade, marked by the transfer from analog to digital. -
Antanas Kučinskas Soundscape Composition in Lithuania: From
Antanas Kučinskas Soundscape Composition in Lithuania: From Interpretation to Documentation Abstract. The term soundscape composition was invented in the mid-seventies of the 20th century when the R. M. Schafer’s movement of acoustic ecology started. But still now none really seems to be able to say what exactly is meant by it. It can hold documentary recordings of some places or complex compositions with enviromental sound, as well as different soundcape ac- tivities (sound walkings, installations, internet projects, etc.). In this paper a short overview of soundscape music in Lithuania is introduced. It based on compositional principles point of view, drawing acts of documentation, representation and interpretation as fundamental premises to define and typologyse it. Keywords: soundcape composition, field recording, sound installation, sound map. During the 20th century the attention of artists, urbanists, sociologists, anthropologists and other experts on the phenomenon of soundscape has been growing. The futuristic movement at the beginning of the century admired the new industrial sound system. So that the sounds of the industry and city – cars, pistons, levers, hammers, etc. – do not become an undesirable noise, for Luigiui Russolo it is only an issue of requalifying them and restructuring our listening. “Switching off the eyes”, as a means of freeing sound from its source and in this way opening oneself to pure (reduced) listening became essential in acousmatic music that focuses atten- tion on how we listen to sounds and music and what the goal of listening is. The context of sound recording technologies and electronic music that do not require putting down notes made the discourse on sonological competence in cognitive musicology a topical issue.