I think Sir James Jeans took a very interesting approach in analyzing the way in which humans hear. Obviously the title hinted at what the article would discuss, but even then the topic was still very interesting. By starting with why and how we hear, the article then was able to delve into why we hear in the way we do.

I think what was particularly interesting about this article was the relationship between hearing and seeing that Sir James Jeans discussed. As we have talked about multiple times in class, it is difficult for us to separate hearing from seeing, and vice versa. Sir James Jeans brings up the point that by the time hearing had become as “nearly perfected” as the other senses, our visual sense had already become so dominant and so fine tuned that there was no room for hearing to become as powerful and significant. I think this is really important to think of when addressing the material we go over in class. We have to consciously remove the visual aspects from what we listen to, so that when we listen, it is as pure as it possibly can be.

Ultimately, for me, this article brought up a rationale for the issues I have faced in listening to pieces so far. Sir James Jeans essentially explained why I struggle with audio pieces in the way I do, which totally enlightened a new aspect of listening. Because I am so reliant on seeing, I will have to consciously work toward isolating my listening devices when I need to, to improve on my skills throughout the rest of the semester.

In Manovich’s essay, he talks in depth about remix culture and how remixes now surround us in every medium. While delving into where remix came from, what it consists of, and how one goes about remixing, he brought up some very crucial questions at the end of his piece. In the last paragraph, Manovich compares remix to the Russian Communist regime. He believed that the regime would be around for hundreds of years, when in reality it was gone within ten years of his prediction. Similarly, the future of remix remains in doubt. Manovich asks the question, “what comes after remix?”, opening up the discussion to a wide range of thoughts. However, I think it is premature to assume what will come next. Yes, we will eventually grow tired of remixes, as we have with many other styles, but part of the fun is awaiting what comes next. Obviously, with the parallel Manovich draws to the Soviet Union, it might come sooner than we expect, but as he writes in his essay, and we saw a little bit with our Remix & Appropriation project, the more we understand the history of remix, and how it came to be, the better we will be able to grasp the next big revolution in art, whatever it may be.

Vito Acconci

Originial:

Remix: https://soundcloud.com/kirk-horton/remix-exercise

Additional Music Piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR-gY6xgVr4

Sounds:

Guitar string friction

Alien

Primal Yell

Dog Bark

In this article, I was particularly intrigued by the paragraph entitled “Listening as Improvisation”. When looking at performance from a distance, the idea that there are performers and there is the audience is almost forced upon you. It seems clear that one section of the ‘group’ is performing something that the second ‘group’ is taking in. However, this paragraph seemed to suggest otherwise. It offered the idea that listening can just as equally be a “performance” of sorts. Listening can be improvised just as a sound can be improvised. I think this is an extremely important way of looking at listening, and one that I intend on improving upon as the semester goes on. The mood of the listener, the circumstances, and the setting can all enforce how the listener listens, but this can all change in an instance, giving the listener almost as much power as the performer in terms of how the piece is actually performed. This essay gave me the sense that although the performer is the one putting on a show, the listener(s) have just as much influence on how the overall performance go. I think this is an important point to recognize, that the listener is half of the piece, so he/she has just as much power in the situation.

“The Three Listening Modes” provided me with an exciting insight into what we are going to be studying throughout the semester. To be completely honest, almost the entire reading was full of new concepts for me. The idea that there are different types of sound makes sense, but it is something that I had never thought of concretely before. Because I have a limited background in sound and sound related production, many of these concepts are new to me, which is exciting. The world of sound in film is so immense and so important to the pictures, that I feel like I am just at the tip of the iceberg. As the semester progresses, I am curious to see how my perception of sound will change, and how new skills that I develop will help me refine my films. As we learn more about the science behind sound and how it has developed in the world of media, I will be able to use these tools to great effects (hopefully!).

Sound #1: https://soundcloud.com/kirk-horton/cage

Sound #2: https://soundcloud.com/kirk-horton/cup-flip

Sound #3: https://soundcloud.com/kirk-horton/walking-through-the-snow1