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Burning Cane by Gerald McCollam. Photo is licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC 2.0

Acoustic Meditation by Jason Shaw (AudionautiX.com). Song is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution: CC BY 4.0

Home is where the cane is. Oftentimes, I have found myself going out of town and realizing the immediate sense of comfort upon returning to my hometown. The smell of sugar cane, the sounds of the semi trucks, and the miles of sugar cane fields all provide a country aesthetic.

Seeing pictures of sugar cane burning reminds me of the rich history, culture, and tradition in my community. It reminds me of unity, struggles, and strives. It also reminds me of what an agricultural community’s history, present, and future.

I was conflicted about whether to include a dramatic, alarming song to reflect the effects of burning sugar cane and how it might be perceived at first glance, but decided to present it differently. I instead present it with a sense of calm and hope.

The photo can be of winter and cozy days in the country. While, at first glance, a photo of something in nature burning might be alarming, I chose to add a calm folk song to shift the feelings toward a reflection on the process of sugar cane harvesting and agriculture. I hope others can relate to the culture in their own hometowns or get a glimpse into the country.

Home Is Where the Cane Is by Jazmin Jimenez. Licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

This work is a derivative of IMG_9945 by Gerald McCollam, licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC 2.0 & Acoustic Meditation by Jason Shaw (AudionautiX) licensed under Creative Commons Attribution: CC BY 4.0

Both works used were combined to complement each other for a class assignment. IMG_9945 was renamed to “Burning Cane” to better explain the photo, and the song Acoustic Meditation was compressed using OnlineConverter.com to meet the audio upload requirements.

“But it doesn’t matter. The electric things have their lives, too. Paltry as those lives are.”
― Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

As I sat down to begin this assignment, I was listening to my Chill playlist (just a collection of relaxing, atmospheric tunes). I often use music as a form of emotional regulation, using it to encourage whatever emotion I want to experience. Or, as in this case, enhancing an emotion I’m already experiencing. Before I even began looking for an image, I knew exactly what type of image I wanted. After struggling to come up with some keywords to describe my mood, I settled on the term “lo-fi”. The first hit on Wikimedia Commons was Lofi Cyberpunk by David Revoy. That was it, that was my mood.

I knew I wanted to enhance the image. So, I needed to find a title that would add some depth. The “lo-fi” term just wasn’t giving the vibe I wanted. I thought about the image. Who is she? What type of world is she in? My mind settled on the movie Blade Runner, a futuristic detective noir film from 1982 based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. I needed some chill jazz vibes to enhance the image. Eventually, I settled on “Cool Vibes” by Kevin MacLeod, a jazzy, laid back, atmospheric piece that helps to enhance the vibe.

Terminal Rhapsody by Troy Mosac is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Dreams Built of Stone and Time, by Kristi Mosac, is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.” ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Ireland has always been a dream of mine. To travel there, to live there — I have wanted these things for nearly 40 years. This image invokes these desires, showcasing the beautiful scenery and sunset, while focusing on the relics of the past. While dreaming of my journey I wish to one day take, it also calls to mind the dreams I have achieved: earning my undergraduate degree, continuing my education in graduate school, and embracing my role in libraries.

Kevin MacLeod’s stunning music, “Long Road Ahead,” not only enhances the vision of this Irish dream but also evokes the long road I have already travelled in my second-chance career and education. Further, it embraces traditional Irish musical styles, creating a lovely balance with Franz van Heerden’s image.

When I first came across this image on Flickr titled “Sculpture, under water, Copenhagen” by phototouring, I thought about a past history, a culture that seemingly vanished under unforeseen circumstances. The statues reaching towards the surface in a manner that exudes a state of panic and longing for escape. Its almost as if they were actual people frozen in stone, by a cataclysmic event. It turns out this is a modern bronze sculpture titled “Agnete and the Merman”, by Danish Artist Suste Bonnén from the year 1992. Given that the piece is based on a Danish folk tale about abandonment, my original interpretation wasn’t too far off.

The audio I chose, “Stormchaser Duet” by Martijn de Boer (NiGiD), features a guitar and bass duet that play off each other, alternating between rhythms and tempos. The bass is deep and heavy evoking memories of muffled underwater sounds harnessed by a light airy reverberating guitar that floats on the senses. I paired the audio with the photo because its ethereal sound evokes mystery and a subtle, haunting nostalgia without being overly direct. During the editing process, I chose to use only the final minute and a half of the seven-minute track, focusing on its emotional progression and climactic build while staying true to my original vision.

I found it easier to start from an image and find the sound that matched rather than vice versa. My overall goal was to find a sound that closely matched my original emotional response to the image. I believe the pairing enhances both elements, as together they evoke a sense of mystery and a forgotten tale. During this exercise, I also thought about how a soundtrack is created and how that can truly elevate or diminish a scene.

Terms of Use: “Beneath the Surface” by Kenneth Jones is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

I love the aesthetics of space which is what initially drew me to the Leonid Meteor Shower over Niagara Falls, I knew I wanted to work with it in some way but was not sure what style of audio would best work for “enhancing” the image. Picking a “celestial” instrumental soundtrack seemed the obvious thing to do, but I wanted to push the idea a little further so I started searching for spoken word poetry relating to space. I stumbled upon Gas and Gravity by Hieron which uses acoustic guitar from martinsea, the voice of SackJo22, and the electric guitar and voice arrangement from 7OOP3D to help create their piece. I did have to drop the quality a bit on the audio to get the file size right for upload, but otherwise I made no additional changes to the audio besides pairing it with the image.

I believe that pairing this audio with this image emphasizes the idea of light found in both pieces, creating a story of sorts that the lights from this meteor shower over a hundred years ago can guide us today through space and through time. I think the music that accompanies the poetry also works to push the “story” forward, there is a sense of dread in some of the rhythms that I think speak to an idea of being pushed over a (metaphorical) waterfall (or otherwise into some precarious situation) while the voice assures us that the lights above will guide the audience to safety.

Through Space Through Time – The Meteors Shine by Nicole Davis is licensed under
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International

If you haven’t gotten the chance to read my introductory post, its good context to know that I reside in a tiny town in West Virginia. Tonight, around midnight, much of the east coast is expecting the most snow its seen in years, and my tiny town is right in the middle of it all. I took inspiration from my anticipation and thought about those nights where you lay in bed hearing the wind howl, seeing snow flurries rush by your window. Then you wake up, all is still, and as you peek out between your blinds you see that the world outside is covered in a fresh blanket of snow. I wanted to capture this feeling through this project.

New Media licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0