Many fans and or listeners of Jazz Music don’t know the behind-the-scenes mechanics. It’s crucial for the drummer to keep proper time for the entire ensemble to stay on tempo. This is done by using the snare drum pictured above. You hear in the audio file the snare drum being stroked on the 2 & 4 when counting. I’m a percussionist and I love live music, this interest drew me to the audio and image selection. The meaning is enhanced by combing my two selections.
“Sunrise or sunset: If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all,” is something my dad would say when I’d tell him about my New Year’s Day plans. I have it set every year, for the last four years: my partner and I wake up an hour before sunrise, stretch, and make the drive to the nearest beach. Then we take out our blankets, for sitting and huddling, and we wait. A picture wouldn’t do it justice, it couldn’t capture that initial flash of gold as it peaks just over the watery horizon. It just can’t and, frankly, if I move, I’ll miss so much more than just that sunrise.
See, it’s more than just seeing the sun rise on the first day of the new year. It’s also about that moment when it feels like the whole world is holding its breath and quietly cheering on the day. Sometimes there are clouds and sometimes it’s a lot colder than we could have anticipated. I fell for the song first, because it reminded me of that anticipation of watching a sunrise, of a sunset, and of those quiet moments in-between its travels. The image puts everything into perspective.
Even though the image may not be from Florida, or even a beach, its colors are familiar.
One of the things I love about traveling is that no matter where you go, there will be things that are different, but there will also be things that inevitably remind you of home. Take this image for instance. Shibuya is one of the busiest places in Japan and is well known for the large sidewalks that people walk across every day. I remember crossing it myself in the rain. What sounds come to mind when you think of the bustling city? What about when it’s raining? For me, soothing sounds.
Despite the fast pace of the city, the rain calms me. I can envision light Jazz playing in the background. It’s as though everything is fast and slow at the same time. Fun to think about, no? Rain can drown out most sounds, so in a way, naturally quiet places and naturally loud places sound the same. The next time you feel like you need a break, think about the sound of rain and some jazz and perhaps it might help you relax and think of home!
Walking around on the weekend. Visiting all the beautiful side streets. Wandering for hours on end with no plans. This is what my dream weekend looks like. When I put my headphones in, just putting on some background noise keeps me moving. Often, I find the best stores or restaurants when I get to wander. I will look for streets I’ve never been down and check them out.
Being able to put in your headphones, let the world disappear, and wander aimlessly is the most relaxing and chill thing I have ever done.
This image of Walking On Sunshine And A Red Headphone by Alfred Grupstra is what I look like to the rest of the world on the days when I get to wander around. It’s beautiful and calming with the warmth of a new world. The song Chilling by Popoi has the beat of the steps, but also the upbeat tone of a casual stroll without too much excitement or adventure. Just a sense to keep moving.
The world is constantly changing people, the environment, and life as we know it. There used to be a season for forest fires but with the world-changing every day there is no session anymore. As Forest Firefighter I know the challenges my fellow firefighter make every day.
This picture by Region 5 Photography shows firefighters getting ready for battle and the fight they have to keep fighting every day to make sure the rest of us are safe and we do not lose loved ones or something we worked hard for.
The audio clip by Kostrava makes you understand the constant sirens running as the firefighters are always going to their next fire and the fire that might get them killed or get someone else killed.
At first glance, this image creates the sense of a busy and crowded scene with lots of people and lots of noise. The audience might be focused mainly on the background because it is in focus, while the taxi is blurry. However, paired with the audio, I wanted to shift the focus back to the taxi and the person inside. The piano music creates a feeling of loneliness and melancholy. I imagine the audience looking through the lens of the one person inside the taxi, seeing the crowds outside passing in a blur. None of them paying are any attention to that one taxi, furthering this sense of loneliness. Additionally, the tempo of the music further emphasized the speed of the taxi as it’s passing all of these people in a blur. I imagine the person in the taxi looking out the window, trying to see the people on the streets but isn’t able to pick any one person out of the crowd.
This picture reminds me of when one of my cats was a kitten. She had been left in a box with 3 siblings on the doorstep of a veterinarian’s office. A friend of a friend worked in this office and somehow we ended up going to see these kittens on a very busy Saturday afternoon. We sat in the corner of the lobby and played with the kittens until my kids convinced me that the sleepy one should join our family. “He will be super cuddly, Mom!” Then the office staff sent us on our way. We had a cat, but no paperwork and no instructions. We never even saw the friend. I am not even sure anyone knew who we were. It was weird.
Despite what the vet told us, he was actually a she. And she was way younger than the vet said. She could not tolerate any solid food so we had lots of tiny accidents until we figured it out.
I think the audio of the kitten meowing enhances the picture. Monkey is a very quiet cat now, but when she was too young to take care of her basic needs, she made a lot of these sounds.
And the kicker? She never cuddles!
This class has already resulted in stirrings in my brain of all the old assignments and ideas that I worked on back in my art school and undergraduate days. In particular I’ve found myself returning to my old Web Design class where we were tasked with making websites through all kinds of methods. Basic HTML, Wix, and, perhaps the most infamous for how weird it was, Dreamweaver. The old Adobe webdesign standby. The assignment was rough since we all kept running into so many weird errors that it made focusing on the actual difficult by extension.
We were given free reign for that assignment, we could pick any topic of our choice to be the filler of the assignment. In my case? I decided to do it on Japanese fashion. Namely the fashion that had come to be synonymous with Harajuku, the place of fashion referenced in Gwen Stefani songs and hailed by some as a fashion mecca in it’s own right with Paris and New York. Which is impressive since it’s only a section of Tokyo versus the full cities of the aforementioned.
I’ve always had a love for Japanese fashion, maybe due to my early interest in manga and anime. I have memories of seeing some girls in these stories dressed up in incredibly distinctive and fancy outfits. Whether I wanted the clothing for myself or not, I found myself looking with rapt interest at the wide variety of styles that seemed to run the gamut from edgy and dark… bright and colorful… to elegant and opulent. So when the chance came for me to pick a topic, I wound up drawing on my love for the fashion seen in these street images.
It was fun to learn more about these fashions, from the idea behind why the fashion became popular, who wore the fashion now, and seeing how it grew and evolved to what it was then.
Harajuku fashion has changed a good bit since then, to an extent that some have even declared that the particular spirit of this fashion is “dead”. That said some it’s not “dead” so much as evolving. Which is something I can relate to, in a world which frequently declares that libraries are “dead” when it’s only changing. An odd tie into my life today… But an apt one since I still find myself eagerly browsing the twitter of various Japanese fashion icons and fashion brands to see what they will bring to the world of fashion next.
What in the world?
So many questions so many thoughts.
Unshakeable; Unbreakable..bending
round.
flat.
turmoil.
war.
UNITY.
America
I chose the picture of the flag because my first thought is wow beautiful, Freedom. Then my thoughts quickly change into all the hurt and the pain that the beautiful creation causes.Everything about the U.S. , the freedom, the diversity, the wealth, everything intrigues me. Why can’t we all just get along? Would that be too easy? Would that create too much power? So many questions! Are we really unshakeable? Solid? In all honesty is freedom really free? Lets stop and ponder the “American Dream”.
I chose the audio called Epic because it reminds me war almost like getting ready for a battle. It also reminds me of how such a beautiful creation can turn mysterious and violent in an instant. Peace, Unity, and Love to all!
Working on this project for the week sparked what this week will look and sound like for me. My boyfriend is Russian and was born and raised in Sunny Isles. My boyfriend’s cousin is getting married, and we are traveling to Sunny Isles, Florida, this weekend.
Sunny Isles is also known as “Little Moscow,” with 7% percent of the population identifying as Russian as their first language. I never knew this before dating him and was so fascinated by the culture and language the more we visited his hometown. If you ever visit Sunny isles, many Russian groceries, restaurants, and stores are available. I love walking along the beach in Sunny Isles and hearing and seeing the culture. I also love hearing and learning the Russian Language; while it is difficult to learn, I know a few words/phrases in the language. This image, “Sunny Isles Beach – 1” is by Leandro’s World Tour and licensed under CC BY 2.0. This image brings peace and happiness as we get to travel to see his family and celebrate a new union. One of my favorite things to do is walk with his family along the beach, relax, and spend time with one another.
In locating audio, I wanted to find audio in the Russian Language and came across this perfect audio of a conversation in Russian at a wedding. While the wedding is mixed, I anticipated many languages spoken, especially the joyous conversations and laughter from the wedding from his family side in Russian. The audio enhances the image for me as this weekend is a beautiful weekend in creating new memories and a beautiful union between the couple. The audio is titled: wedding_guests.flac by Zabuhailo and is licensed under the Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0). I can’t wait for this weekend!