Without a sense of intrigue, the world feels dull. Maybe that’s what draws some of us to mystery novels and true crime. Myself, I love to create stories full of drama and twists of all kinds. I have always been drawn to works of all kinds that draw up my interest in the mystical and fantastic and inspire me to craft stories surrounding them. It is no different with these two works.
Ben Watkin‘s photo, “Cat,” captures a cat looking into the distance from below, the lighting and blur in the background creating a sense of melancholy and mystery while Hans Zimmerman‘s song, “Rainy Mystery,” creates an ambiance that feels like the background music for a drama. These two works join to create an unwritten dramatic story that is up to the viewer to compose. Overall, they are a good example of how two separate works can inspire and draw up our own creative ways of interpreting and shifting our surroundings into fiction. On their own, the former is just a photo of a cat and the latter is just a musical piece, but together they join and weave a dramatic story.
Just two weeks ago, I found myself staring at a playground located directly on top of a bomb shelter. The juxtaposition of this scene struck me. The playground was a representation of innocence, childhood, youthful joy, and life, Yet, it sat atop a building that represented fear, death, threat, and destruction. This playground was located in an Israeli community only a couple of miles outside of the Gaza strip, right between two lands that hate one another. I got to see this when I visited Israel over New Year’s. I was reminded of this when I saw the photo above.
When I imagine that same photo in my hometown, happy feelings arise. It brings nostalgia as I remember my childhood, dreams of the future for the kids playing, and peace as I look at the sunset. Yet, when I remember a similar playground in Israel, I feel sad, angry, and anxious. This is because context matters. The context for the Israeli children I met was a playground located a mile away from people who wish you were not there, in a political climate of tension that has been building for years, and in a town where you only have 8 seconds between when the alarms go off and a bomb hits. I grow sad to think that these kids might not make it to be an adult and angry at the lack of peace in the world. I remember one man sharing how his house doesn’t have doors so his children can easily run when a bomb alarm goes off, and I do not feel the same peace as I look at the sunset in that photo.
Those feelings of fear, stress and sorrow are the same feelings that arise when I look at the picture above of innocent children playing paired with the sound of sirens and bombs in the background. It is a pairing that feels like it should not exist, yet unfortunately, it does. Yet, this does not take away the beauty of the image or diminish the joy of the children in that photo. Instead, it highlights the strength and bravery that so many people have to continue living their lives despite the danger around them. The ability to find joy amidst a world of conflict. It is truly beautiful to see a sunset and children playing with hope for a better future rather than fear of the present.
I remember the tour guide saying, “I often ask myself why I have not left yet, but then my children tell me that this is their home and they don’t want to leave. And that is why I choose to stay.”
We’re all busy, between work, school, and general life, and it’s really hard to escape the everyday noises, literally and figuratively. I choose to pair a beautiful night sky in the forest with the sound of deleting messages as a story of disconnecting. I imagine hiking out to this wonderful spot, selecting all from my inbox, and deleting, them so I can enjoy the sounds and sights of nature. I was drawn to this image because it’s simple, yet what it displays is so complex, trees of likely decades, if not centuries old, and the stars, whos light has burned bright for thousands of years to reach us here on Earth.
Taken alone, the image is calm and serene and one might think of the sound of the wind rustling through the trees, or crickets, or even the hoot of an owl. The modern sound of a message deletion, which is a bit robotic, sticks out as a contrast to the natural wonder of the photo.
This is a reminder to us all, including myself, to take moments to enjoy what’s around us and put down the phone. I know I need this reminder as a nudge, that we’re all in this together, and it’s ok if we don’t respond immediately to all the notifications on our phones, sometimes we need to step out into nature and really focus on the stars and our place among them.
As an avid gamer, I decided to use my past experience for this weeks lab assignment. There are times when you try to play a video game that maxes out the performance of the PlayStation 4, and when the game is about to start, you hear the fans of the PlayStation 4 kick off loudly like a plane about to take off on the runway. Most computer users would probably know what I’m talking about, because it sometimes happen when you try to run a heavy program on your computer, you hear the fans loudly making noise to ensure the computer is kept cool while it runs this hefty program. Looking at the picture, I don’t think anyone would expect that audio to be what accompanies it.
This PlayStation 4 image by Evan-Amos that I came across is perfect, as it shows the console in its full form and lets everyone easily know what it is. After searching long for a good sound of a plane taking off, I finally found the one created by jone_oost which perfectly matches the exact sound and rhythm that I’m trying to portray. Together, they create the story that I am trying to tell.
I’m a Boston Terrier owner first and foremost. My Boston Terrier’s name is Buster and we work with the Boston Terrier Rescue of Florida.
I came across this photo of a Boston Terrier by Michael Gwyther-Jones and instantly thought this was the facial expression a Boston Terrier would make if they were getting beamed up by an alien ship. I thought pairing the dogs bewildered look with the tractor beam sound by shimsewn would capture the moment perfectly.
Overall, the pairing of the tractor beam sound enhances the slightly confused but curious look on the Boston Terrier’s furry face.
In a world of constant movement, it is easy to miss subtle specifics. Having a scene easy on the eyes in the form of color, softness, and vastness unfolding in front of you becomes the main allure to “Wetlands Sunset.” I felt in only putting a small section of sound, nothing too incredibly long, the viewer, and listener gets a small piece from “Kauai Rain Ocean Birds“, this particular :34 second part was called “Kauai Shama thrush”, of what can interrupt a hectic day and provide calm; just a small portion enough that individuals might want to check out more from this artist.
Just enough of a sample exists to slow your day, a small enough excerpt to invite individuals to want to check out more from this artist. I like the concept of small portion to lead to further investigation based on interest. Sometimes all it takes is a small portion of something to realize to enhance your life, a little investigation of acquiring more will help your life be even better.
The calmness during the destruction and fighting for freedom can be seen in the marketplace, where people can gather and continue to uplift each other. Looking through the many vendors and their differing trades, you can see the people conversing and catching up on any news or gossip while bartering and selling or buying. This idyll is a relief for the many that live in bombed houses and areas, allowing Palestinians to remember the normalcy inside the insanity.
I was interested in this photo since it reminded me so much of the marketplaces that I have visited in Honduras. Sometimes, I forget that certain places can have the same feelings and emotions in any part of the world.
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.
Liberian Girl by Soulja Unit (c) copyright 2018 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/SouljaUnit/58357
“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!
