LIS5313

Jane Barrager

Murmuration.

“Isaiah 60:2…“ by J316 is licensed under CC PDM 1.0.
License: Creative Commons & CC License Public Domain Dedication

Shown alone, this photo will illicit feelings of chaos.

Loud noises, feet moving across the hard floor, screaming babies, intercom announcements.

The long exposure in the bottom of the frame shows the movement of the people in the station. We can imagine them moving swiftly around each other, with a sort of organized chaos (hence the post title, “murmuration“.

Dominus Dixit Ad Me by Admiral Bob (c) copyright 2021 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
License: CC Mixter & CC License Attribution Legal Code


But play the audio along with the image, your sense get slowed and you can see that there is a grace and smoothness to this image that gets shown only when you play the audio.

It’s comparable to murmuration in the idea that when we are inside of something (i.e. a mass of moving bodies) it feel hectic and disorderly, but when we are able to step back and view something from the outside we can finally see the order and the structure to the movements.

January 25, 2022 by Student Posts 4

Yellow Flowers in a Glass Jar

“yellow roses and tulips bouquet in a blue glass mason jar vase from ProFlowers” by Berries.com is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Before you listen to the music in this post, pause and look at the photo. What do yellow roses and tulips make you think of? What feelings and memories rise up? I have always loved tulips and roses. And yellow flowers give me a sense of warmth and joy, like sunlight. When I first saw this photo, I felt uplifted. I thought maybe someone received this bright bouquet for a birthday or anniversary.

“Sad Trio” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Now, add the audio as you look at the photo. “Sad Trio” adds a somber, reflective mood, and offers a different context for the photo. For me, the music changes the meaning of the photo from warm and happy to mournful or melancholic. Traditionally, yellow roses are given in sympathy. I don’t know why, but maybe it is to brighten the spirits. For some people they might bring to mind sad memories or thoughts of someone they have lost. In this context, I wonder what you would see if the photo was pulled back. Maybe a scene from a celebration of life gathering?

January 25, 2022 by Spring 2022 Student Posts 3

Live in the Moment & Enjoy

“A plant growing up in the moss” by Z Carlos is licensed under
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
“Life Theme” by XHALE303 is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0)

Do you sometimes feel like you have no idea what’s happening in your life even though everything is going well? This is something I’ve been feeling a lot lately. I’m not upset about it because I know I am going through a stage of growth that will be beneficial to my future. However, sometimes I do wish I had more clarity.

The image “A plant growing up in the moss” by Z Carlos is the perfect example of this feeling. The plant is alone by itself yet it is still constantly growing into something more beautiful. I decided to find a song that I think a plant would like to listen to during its growth and “Life Theme” by XHALE303 seemed to be the perfect example. The piano is soothing and the different tempos of the notes reminded me of the different paces that we go through in this journey called life.

Even though you may not know exactly what’s happening in your life right now always take time to live in the moment and enjoy it.

January 25, 2022 by Student Posts 2

Playing a little Koi

Koi fish
Picture taken by Trine Junei at the Berlin Zoo

When I was looking for images I knew I wanted something that would represent something serene and for the music it also needed to have a calming effect. My daily life is very chaotic between work , school and raising children so I wanted a little peace and quiet and I think between the image and the audio clip I achieved that.

January 25, 2022 by Student Posts 3

Falling for Fall

“Cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” by Nick Kenrick.. is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
“Autumn leaves and pipers feat. wnm” by Wired Ant
2011 – Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0)

Fall is my most favorite time of the year. Who doesn’t enjoy observing the leaves from the tress and plants changing into multi-colored works of art before finally falling away? It is the coziest season of all. The sun is still bright and warm around midday but mornings and evenings are chilly with less frequent rains. Since Florida doesn’t have much Fall foliage displays I travel north during this time to enjoy the colors mainly because I love to take photographs of nature.
The beautiful, and vibrant colors are visual treat and can be gazed at all through the day.

It is the coziest season of all. The sun is still bright and warm around midday but mornings and evenings are chilly with less frequent rains. It is the “cooling off” month right between the blazing summer and chilling winter. Autumn is season of holidays to spend time with family before rolling into winter and Christmas. It is the season to be thankful and to be surrounded by the people you love.

I chose the write my post about Autumn because the weather currently is very cold for Floridians and I was wondering how much I miss the other seasons especially ‘Fall’. I found the autumn leaves picture and the audio appropriate to the mood and content of my post and hence used it.

January 24, 2022 by Student Posts 3

Gladiolus In Bloom

“Gladiolus undulatus” by dogtooth77 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Shimmer by Airtone is licensed under a Creative Commons License. 2022 – Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

 As a symbol of strength and growth, I chose the image of a gladiolus flower in bloom. However, when I first started this assignment, I was looking for photos of people hugging for the last time because I felt like it was a bittersweet moment. In most cases, when you embrace someone, it is either to say goodbye or welcome them back.

Over the past few months, I have had to leave the people I love behind. This includes family and friends. It was difficult to say goodbye to them while moving to the US for school. I miss being around them, and I miss being able to hug them and feel their presence. The same goes for my dogs. I wrote about my recent move to Tallahassee, Florida in my last class blog post. So, getting settled in a new environment on my own has been difficult.

During my first week here, I would cry and reminisce about how much I missed home. And, in the process of adjusting to life here, I’ve learned that this is a chance to rediscover myself. Things won’t always go my way but in those moments, I remember that I am strong, brave, and courageous. I am like a gladiolus in bloom. and I can’t wait to see how my life unfolds from here. 

I would like to add that the Gladiolus undulatus photograph by dogtooth77 is so captivating. Every petal on this flower tells its own story of beauty and strength. I thought it would be perfect to pair the soothing and ambient elements in the song Shimmer by Airtone with the picture. At first, it is not easy to tell where the song is going, but as it progresses, it just creates an immersive experience. This is something I hope you will experience as well!

January 24, 2022 by Spring 2022 Student Posts 2

The Immensity of Life

“Sapphire Cherry Blossom Cemetery” by Bold Frontiers is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
“Recording of a Busy New York Street” by quantumriver is
licensed under CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0)

I remember my first trip to Washington DC. I was in 5th grade, and my class and I stopped by the Arlington National Cemetery. It was here that even as young and rowdy elementary students, the class fell silent as we gazed upon thousands of graves lining the acres of land to encompass the cemetery. As I gazed upon the many graves, my 10 year old brain tried and failed to comprehend the reality that each one of these graves held a person who once lived, died, laughed, and cried. Each one had a unique story, loved ones, bad habits, favorite snacks, a song they liked to sing. Even now, I struggle to see these graves as people, as we often struggle to see the importance of each individual person each day. But perhaps it will help to hear them.

I was first drawn to this photo of Arlington Cemetery by its beauty, and due to the fact that it has no humans in it, which makes it even harder to imagine real people. Along this photo, I have attached an audio file of a busy street in New York City captured in 2008. The most populated city in America, New York City stands as a witness to the immensity of life, with millions of people from different backgrounds and walks of life living and walking side by side together on a busy street. Placed side by side, one can imagine each one of these graves as a living and breathing person walking the streets of New York, going to pick up a bagel, running late to work, on their way home to their kids. Any of these people could be a friend, an enemy, or a co-worker given different circumstances. It bears as a stark reminder, life is precious and every person’s life is extremely important. The next time you pass by a cemetery, try to imagine the lives lived by those in the ground. Perhaps you can pray a brief prayer, that they may rest in peace and their families be comforted. And most of all, be kind to those around you. We, as human beings, are trusted with the immensity of life. I pray we live it well.

January 24, 2022 by Student Posts 2

Other than just good music …

It was the early 1990’s when I received the opportunity to study in the US., and my options were just three. The first option was Rochester, NY. Unfamiliar with the location at that time, I automatically passed to the next option, Huston, TX. To be honest, I thought my English wouldn’t improve if I chose something closer to Mexico.

So I adventure to my third and ideal selection, Chicago, IL. At that time, all I knew about the city was the “The Blues Brothers” and “The Superbowl Shuffle.” to my surprise, the town was more than just good music and fun.

Music: « All That » from Bensound.com

As a matter of fact, one of many stories during my multiple visits to Millenial Park and strolling to a good Bears game in Soldier Field led me to this discovery in 2004, a sign stating that the clouds will come closer to Chicago. Everyone was puzzled and curious, and after two years of speculation, in 2006, the “Cloud Gate” was open.

“Chicago” by szeke is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

The Bean brought a flair to the park and the town, to my surprise and many. I was adding passion and art to my second home for years to come. If you haven’t become one of the millions taking a picture of this marvelous work, don’t wait, it is worth the trip.

/r
Alex Palma

January 24, 2022 by Spring 2022 Student Posts 2

The Century Tree

Angel Oak Tree in Charleston, South Carolina
Photo by: slworking2 License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
FL Mockingbirds Recording: by FartMuffin License: Creative Commons 0 License (CC0 1.0)

The Angel Oak Tree in Charleston, South Carolina caught my eye when I was looking through pictures of oak trees. Thirty-two years ago, at Texas A&M University, I met Bob and we started dating. When he decided to propose, he took me to The Century Tree on campus. It was one of the first trees planted on the campus and it holds a special place in my heart and the hearts of Aggies everywhere. It is said that if a marriage proposal takes place under the tree, it will last forever. We’re 27 years into forever!

I decided to add the sound of a mockingbird to my picture for a couple of different reasons. The mockingbird is the state bird of Texas and Florida. Also, Texas A&M’s campus has lots of trees throughout and therefore there are always birds singing and flying around campus. Mockingbirds are among the many you see each day and this audio clip makes me feel like I’m back on campus.

Being a Native Texan and a Texas Aggie hold a special place in my heart. I also enjoy traveling and spending time out in nature. Through this blog, I am bringing together some of the things that make me who I am and bring to mind the love of my life, Bob.

January 24, 2022 by Student Posts 2

Beach Days

“The Atlantic Ocean” by milan.boers is licensed under CC BY 2.0
“Summer Mood” by Lesfm 2021 – Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0)

Some of the best memories growing up were beach days. When looking for a stunning or impressive image my mind went right to those days standing in the sun looking out over the ocean. As kids we would beg our parents to go on weekends during the summer. I saw this photo while searching for the ocean and thought this one was beautiful. I then started searching for energetic and upbeat music for summer! The song “summer mood” I believe changes the way we look at this photo. I think the song I chose turns this cloudy beach day into one that everyone would enjoy!

January 23, 2022 by Spring 2022 Student Posts 2