Just yesterday, I finished reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey and sought to craft my post in relation to the novel. I came across an image of a vintage Electro-shock therapy (EST) machine from the 1930s and felt it would be a fair representation of the novel since EST plays such a significant role in the tale. The title of the post, “He Who Marches Out of Step Hears Another Drum“, comes from the novel as well. The line refers to someone who is going against the established social norms and doing his own thing. Those who march to the beat of their own drum run the risk of colliding with hospital staff and being sentenced to EST. To enhance the image, I sourced two audio files, the first is the sound of a hydraulic hammer press starting up and the second is the sound of electricity buzzing. The sound of the hydraulic hammer press was included because it augments the foreboding feel of the image in conjunction with the sound of sparking electricity. I used Audacity to merge these two audios in a way that allowed the hydraulic hammer press to rev up to full speed prior to the crackle of the electric shock and created a new master audio file for embedding into the post.
Hello Sara, it’s nice to e-meet you! I haven’t read One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest but it sounds very elaborate and intriguing. I like the picture you found, I have never seen an electro-shock therapy machine before. The picture is a bit big for the blog post as I can’t see the entirety of the image without scrolling, but I think it’s a nice size to see the details of the screws, dials, and brand. Even without sound, the picture and the title immediately made me think of electricity crackling! However, mixing the sound of a hydraulic hammer press with the electricity was a great touch to really bring the image to life! With only the audio that you created, I think I could almost imagine some time of machinery in a factory. What was your experience like working with Audacity? I haven’t used it before, but am excited to edit audios like this!
Sara, thank you for this piece! Not to be dramatic but the audio choices were perfect for the picture you chose. My initial thought when I played the audio and looked at the picture was “Oh my God, this is eerie and troubling”. I have not read the book you completed, however, I read the plot and felt this was fitting for what the background of the novel was and how it ended. The photo sets the precedent of what you are displaying to your classmates and it gave me chills. The first 4 seconds of the audio had no sound, so I initially thought you had faulty audio. I would possibly add a fade-in effect at the beginning where the audio slowly rises in volume before the hydraulic hammer starts
Wow this definitely stirred something in me. The sound design carried the feels with the hammering intensified and smoothly led into the charging electrical sound. I felt a bit of shock and horror once I realized what the image was showing. The fact that the sounds were blended so well adds to the shock of it all.
The image is that of an unfamiliar machine, nothing immediately obvious as to its purpose. Definitely outwardly electrical based but it just seems like an electrical box with no immediately nefarious purpose. But with the electrical the meaning that is conveyed is that intense uncomfortable noise taking up all my hearing as the electrical charging whine built in the background. It made me feel uneasy and worried. Together the image and sound invokes anxiety and worry as if something terrible is about to happen. Those terrifying noises back dropped with a machine of unknown origin really brings out anxiety.
Perhaps a sound with greater emphasis on the electrical sound slowly building up would make a feeling of building tension instead of the immediate shock. Perhaps leaning into the unfamiliarity of the machine and using other electrical sounds may create something in stark contrast to the purpose of the machine.