Student Posts

The reasons behind my choices for this painting and the pairing of music are very unclear to me even though I was incredibly picky throughout the process. When it comes to visual inspiration, I almost always turn to Pinterest. I use it so often that my algorithm is perfected to my exact taste. I have even had friends ask me to use my Pinterest for their search query. It is my fourth most used app behind the New York Times’ Games. Anyway, Pinterest is where I started. I originally sought out (and found!) a watercolor painting of birds, and through much querying found artist Alice Ravenel Huger Smith.

This particular painting pleases me for several reasons. Firstly, the colors and motifs are a complete evocation of my nursery, of which I keep photos around to look at when I am feeling nostalgic. My mom chose a “fairy” theme, painting the walls purple with clouds going up onto the ceiling, and fairy lights wrapped in organza are strung into the center of the room. Secondly, the location of the image, a bayou in Charleston where Huger Smith based most of her work, reminds me of The Princess and the Frog, which is clearly the best Disney Princess movie. No, South Carolina and Louisiana aren’t that close, but they both have bayous, ok?

The first direction I thought I may go in as far as audio was a jazz/blues song from the Charleston Renaissance, which took place around the time the painting was created. The problem here was that the jazz of the time seemed too energetic for the painting, which is melancholic and seems to depict a place where time stands still. Blues on the other hand, would pay no heed to the idyllic colors and impressionism (sorry, Bessie Smith). If I had my choice, I probably would have chosen a Mazzy Star song. Mazzy Star is not in the Creative Commons.

I found the chosen song on FreeMusicArchive.org by searching “ambient jazz”, clicking through many different songs until I found the right one, then finding it again after making an account and getting redirected. I wish the song page listed the instruments used, because it is hard for me to tell if the wind instrument is a saxophone or not. The song does sound more modern than 1920’s jazz, which, to me, is perfectly fitting for a painter whose work fits so well into my very contemporary tastes.

“M31 09-01-2011” by Torben Hansen. downloaded from flickr 1.17.2025 CC BY 2.0

“Nocturnal Tranqulity” by Skye Jordan. downloaded from dig.ccmixter 1.17.2025 CC BY 4.0

The vastness of space has always interested me. Something is mesmerizing about the way stars and space seem to go on forever in the night sky. This is an image of M31, otherwise known as the Andromeda Galaxy. This image, “M31 09-01-2011” by Torben Hansen, captures millions of stars and at least three galaxies. The Andromeda galaxy is the closest to our own, the Milky Way, about 2.5 million light-years away. The audio clips enhance this image by playing calming and dreamy music. As I listen to this music and stare at the image, a sense of serenity washes over me allowing my mind to drift into deep reflection about our existence. What is the purpose of life? Is there other life out there? I like to ponder these questions and am reminded to sometimes take a moment, reflect, and appreciate the complexities and beauty of life. We are so small in the grand scheme of things, yet we are deeply interconnected to everything around us. I hope you all enjoy the picture and audio and take time to reflect on your own lives and the wonder of space.

“Have I played my part well in this comedy of life? Then applaud as I exit.”

This quote is supposedly the last words of Augustus, first emperor of Rome and subject of the included photo. Born Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian, he later changed his name as he changed the political system of Rome, furthering the work that his adopted father, Julius Caesar, had already started. His last words were purportedly recorded by ancient historian Suetonius, although how he accurately got them is a mystery considering Augustus died in 14 CE, and Suetonius was not born until 69 CE. They also vary depending on translation.

I chose this photo because recently I’ve become extremely interested in ancient Rome, beginning with me reading Mary Beard’s book, Emperor of Rome. The most fascinating part of reading about Rome is that despite them living thousands of years ago, in some ways it feels as though their struggles mirror ours today.

The audio I am including is a snippet of a poem “On the Nature of Things” by Roman poet and philosopher Titus Lucretius Carus, better known as Lucretius. This snippet is from Book III – Part 3 “The Soul is Mortal”, translated by William Ellery Leonard and recorded for LibriVox by Daniel Vimont.

A poem from a Roman debating the fate of the human soul after life in juxtaposition with an Emperor who was deified and worshipped after death drives home for me the paradoxical nature of both Imperial Rome and human nature itself. In this statue of Augustus the artist included a small baby Cupid riding a dolphin, which was a direct reference to his claim that he was descended from the same line as Julius Caesar, who claimed his ancestry extended to the goddess Venus. Despite all of this godly lineage, in the end, Augustus perished the same as any other human. One can only wonder if he thought his soul would be borne to the realm of the Gods on his deathbed, or if he believed that his exit truly meant the end of all of his mind and soul, as Lucretius would suggest.

Lucretius would have died before the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire, but as with many words of ancient Romans, his poems and musings have lived a thousand lives after him. Augustus is the single Roman emperor with the most surviving portraits in various forms, and yet none of these marble busts contain the essence of his soul, or who he was as a person. All we have are artifacts that merely offer a glimpse through a distorted looking glass, as it were.

Together, this image and this poem speak to me of the ephemeral nature of being human. People have been fighting for power and wondering about what it means to be alive and have a soul for as long as we have been humans. No matter who we are, no matter if we have all the wealth in the world, for emperor and plebian alike, death is our final act. What comes next is anyone’s guess.

Terms of Use “Death of An Emperor” by Emily Bowlin is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

The sound of breaking glass often brings up a conflict of interests in the minds of those that hear it. I chose Broken Window Large by Tomas Castelazo because it reminded me of the first time I ever had to add audio and visuals to a digital story telling assignment for a class. I chose Break3Glasses by Mikael Fernstrom, because it matched the first audio file I ever used and it seemed to match the photo.

But I also chose this picture and sound for another reason. In my own personal life I have finally “broken” free of what has seemed to hold me back and hold me down for most of my life: my job. I officially ended 7 years of teaching last Friday. Though my love for children is still strong, the system itself has become unbearable for me, like for many teachers; but many are forced to stay because of their situations. I was given a unique opportunity to leave the stress and I took it. And though some might scoff at my aspirations to become a librarian or to be a stay at home mom for my new step son, I have no regrets. I have finally broken through the glass ceiling of my life and the sky seems like the limit to me.

My License Deed: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed

When I was looking through pictures for this assignment, I couldn’t help but think of a trip that I took last summer. During my vacation me and my Girlfriend had the privilege of visiting all over Spain. One of my favorite stops was at Alcázar of Segovia (pictured above), which is a medieval castle located in the city of Segovia, Spain. The castle itself is built upon a crag of rocks, intertwining the natural creations of Mother Nature, with bricks made by human hands. We spent a few hours at the castle and the surrounding area, however given the chance I would love to go back and explore the never ending hallways further.

I chose this audio because I felt that it perfectly encapsulated the feeling of seeing the Alcázar of Segovia for the first time. A sense of awe, and majesty, at the marvel of human ingenuity, constructed into the mountainside. I appreciated how this audio used a variety of different sounds to weave together a narrative. Hopefully, by listening to this track, and viewing this image, you can have an idea of how I felt when I first laid eyes upon the castle.

Terms of Use: “A Castle in the Hills” by Alexander Bowman is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

For this assignment, I knew right away that I wanted to create my post based on my current passions and hobbies. Over the past few months now, I’ve been researching on crystals and their healing frequencies, and combining this knowledge with my yoga. The photo above showcases the lattice of Amethyst, which I believe beautifully exemplifies the crystal’s structure and the strength it provides to those who hold it Amethyst is for its ability to boost the immune system, reduce physical aches, alleviate mental fatigue, and encourage clear thinking.

The audio attached is a frequency like melody that most would use to silence unwanted thoughts. The “Hillsound” audio is very similar to listening to sound baths, which help release blockages in your desires, emotions, and brain functions. This practice is also known as meditating on your crown chakra, which is the energy center located at the top of your head. The crown chakra is associated with higher consciousnesses, spiritual connection, and enlightenment. By focusing on this chakra, you can enhance your energy systems and promote your overall well-being. Like all matter, crystal have energy, and Amethyst, in particular, possesses healing energies and frequencies that users can harness to enhance their way of living. The photo included demonstrates the almost aura-like quality of Amethyst, highlighting the kind of healing light it promotes. This is why I chose the photo, it represents the healing elements that it provides any individual who owns it and I find that fascinating.

Terms of Use: “Healing Frequencies,” is adapted from “Cobalt Blue Crystals, Amethyst Macro” by cobalt123 and is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 (Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic). And the audio “Hillsound” by genghisattenborough was downloaded from Freesound and licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 (Attribution – Noncommercial 2.0 Generic).

For this assignment, I knew I had to base it on my favorite dinosaur, so I chose an image of a Tyrannosaurus Rex from Dave Catchpole that perfectly captures the dinosaur’s fierce and powerful presence. To enhance this image, I paired it with the audio clip “dinosaur-roar.wav” by soundmast123, which adds an extra layer of intensity to the experience. The roar makes the image more dynamic and amplifies the feeling of being right next to this massive creature. Together, the image and audio transform what would have been just a visual into an immersive adventure; I imagine you’re in the Cretaceous, almost as if you’re standing in the path of this mighty apex predator. It is truly a sight to behold.

“A Roar in the Jungle: The T-Rex Comes to Life,” is adapted from “Dinosaur Adventure” by Dave Catchpole and “dinosaur roar.wav” by soundmast123. “A Roar in the Jungle: The T-Rex Comes to Life” is licensed under CC BY 2.0 for the image and CC BY 3.0 for the audio

I started this assignment by browsing many audio resources and stumbled across the Nintendo Complete Original Soundtracks on the Internet Archive. I listened to many while I decided which to choose but waited until I found one that I could envision, which was intially, not actually the one your listening to as you read this. At first, I wanted to use another song in this collection called, “Wizardry III “Adventurer’s Inn III” ” because it sounded so peaceful, magical, and like walking through the gardens on the grounds of an enchanted castle. As you can imagine, finding an image for ALL that was very difficult and none were just quite what I was imagining. But as I was listening to the collection and searching for my castle, “Dragon Quest IV “Minuet”” started to play, and I was suddenly transported to the front row of a beautiful ballet performance as the orchestra plays effortlessly. The ending specifically is where I see the image above, as the music gets quieter the dancers form their line and rest their hands as they freeze into a pose in waiting for the next song to begin.

This work, “The Ballet of Shadows”, is adapted from “Dragon Quest IV “Minuet”” and “Ballerinas Dancing on Stage” by Fabrício Lira. “The Ballet of Shadows” is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 by Emily Murray.