Trevor Candelaria
\nAndrew Rippeon
\nVoice Noise and Sound
\nNovember 29, 2018
\nUnderstanding Sound
\nThere is no one way to look at or comprehend sound. It is multifaceted, multi-dimensional, and full of nuances. There is no concrete definition of what sound is. We must accept that sound is subjective and that its meaning and value is determined both by the producer and by each individual perceiver. My understanding of sound over the course of this semester has been similar to sound itself; fluid and ever-evolving. The variety of sound that I have encountered through this course has both affirmed and contradicted my ideas, forcing me to constantly reflect and reevaluate. This journey of reflection through sound is marked by my desire to conceptualize what sound is, but just as importantly, what sound is not. My reflection and growing understanding of sound can be witnessed explicitly through my writing assignments throughout this course. To demonstrate this continual growth, we will examine my writings in a chronological order, analyzing how and why my definition of sound has changed. As a method of comparison, we will also consider the work of DJ Spooky, a turntablist, record producer, philosopher, and author. Ultimately, we will arrive at how I interpret sound in the present and its application to this paper.
\nThe first time I truly grappled with the conceptual entity of sound was while listening to Alvin Lucier\u2019s, \u201cI Am Sitting in a Room.\u201d I was incredibly na\u00efve and not fully capable of appreciating what Lucier was doing in this work. However, this is where my foundation for understanding sound started. Although I did not explicitly provide a definition, my takeaway from the piece was that sound can be understood concretely, in words, and abstractly, in symbolism. I argued that the noises being transmitted at the tail end of Lucier\u2019s recording were,<\/p>\n
\u201cessentially the intended message being condensed into its purest symbolic form.\u201d<\/p>\n
While my claim is not unreasonable, it is incomplete as it fails to quantify exactly what the \u201cpurest symbolic form\u201d of sound is. Further, the work of DJ Spooky contradicts the idea that there is a singular \u201cpurest symbolic form\u201d of sound. Rather, he explains that sound isn\u2019t one particular thing or shape, nor can it be understood in isolation. Sound is indeed fluid as my original claim suggests, but there is not one purest form of sound because sound possesses purity in all of its forms.
\nNaturally, as I began to gain exposure to different sounds my understanding of sound grew. In the first writing project I was asked to situate and discuss a vocal text in a theoretical context. While this project was geared towards the voice, it was still relevant to sound as voice is merely a subgenre of sound. My focus for this project was based on how,<\/p>\n
\u201cTrue meaning and voice can only be deciphered when the sounds made by an individual are understood in their original context\u201d<\/p>\n
At the time of its creation, this description seemed undeniable. It felt unauthentic to consider a voiceover such as \u201cBad Lip Reading\u201d to be synonymous in value to its original recording. I recognize now how that thought process was flawed. DJ Spooky shows us the value of a remix as he relishes in the ability to create new meaning from meshing different sounds and voices. The residual meaning from the remix is in no way inferior or less authentic compared to the original. It is in every way equal, as it provides a fresh perspective often untouched or unattained by the original. Essentially, sound carries purpose and meaning regardless if it is \u201coriginal\u201d and regardless of the context.
\nThe second writing project took an even more in depth look at the art of remixing as it required me to examine how sampling, the process of capturing an aspect of one song and applying it to a new song, is utilized by artists to create sound. After studying the topic, I concluded that,<\/p>\n
\u201c[Sampling] affords artists the ability to re-contextualize sounds in a way that provides new perspective or meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n
I began to realize at this point of my journey that sound is never stagnate or frozen in form. Sound is infinite. Much like a loop, there is no beginning or end, just a constant stream capable of being contoured. The remixing of a song is merely a nuanced way of understanding the original sound. DJ Spooky echoes this sentiment in his life\u2019s work, exemplifying how the manipulation of sound is a marvelous tool in reaching new audiences and applying new meaning. After considering how remixing affected sound, I recognized that my definition of sound must also be \u201cremixable\u201d as it is impossible to define an ever-changing construct with an inflexible description,
\nIn my third writing project I was asked to engage with the acoustic environment around me. I was charged with the responsibility of carefully listening to and defining the \u201csoundscapes\u201d that exist within the Davidson Campus. This activity forced me to contemplate sound in a way that I was previously unaware of: sound as an indication of time and location. I learned the significance of keynotes\/ soundmarks and their role in my personal understanding where I was at a particular time and place. But perhaps most importantly, I became cognizant of my negligence to observe the sounds around me:<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, we often fail to recognize and appreciate [soundscapes] for what they are, and thus deprive ourselves of the qualities they possess.\u201d<\/p>\n
I found that I subconsciously ignored many of the sounds around me and subsequently prevented myself from fully understanding sound\u2019s importance in my life. After this project I came to the realization that sound is just as critical to the identity of an environment as its physical properties are, and that it is possible to recall an environment based solely off of the sounds it emits. DJ Spooky touches on this idea by explaining that the meaning of a sound can be dependent on the place it comes from. For example, the sound of running water can derive its meaning from the existence of a stream in a soundscape. Sound plays a critical role in how we interpret the places around us, and the better we acknowledge that fact, the better we understand sound\u2019s value as a whole.
\nAt last we arrive at the present, where my understanding of sound is nowhere near its limit, but nonetheless greater than where it was before I started this course. DJ Spooky has provided a guideline to my awareness of sound and facilitated my understanding in many ways. Not to say that his opinions are the be-all and end-all, but they have certainly assisted in my reflection. I recognize that sounds are fluid and capable of being altered to form something new. I appreciate the role sound plays in my comprehension of the places around me, and perhaps most importantly, I now know my definition of sound is limitless and subject to continual expansion. To expand in one last way, I leave you with my final observation of the course: Writing and sound are in many ways synonymous. In essence, writing is the tangible encapsulation of sound. Just as a DJ would mix and sample sounds from various artists, an author utilizes the sources and ideas from previous writers to create a nuanced collection of words and thoughts. Further, the words you are reading off this screen are the embodiment of my voice- a voice comprised of sound that is both unique and ever-evolving.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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