For this assignment, I have decided to work on the Soundscape project instead of the Interview project, to give me a challenging task by working on multiple sounds without a specific transcript, dialogue, or monologue. After the reading, these are few specifics that I learnt about soundscapes. It is an abstract way of communicating a specific story or experience through the use of sounds. It could be a real place or an invented place but the sounds being communicated are the only mode of experiencing this specific location. Soundscapes are also multiple sounds that overlap each other, giving out the ambience of a specific location. For example, the soundscape of a busy Sunday Farmer’s Market might be the vendors talking to customers, the music that might be playing in the background, the sounds of children screaming out of joy or the sound of wind breezing through. Sounds are really important to live this experience because as you read through a book or a descriptive paragraph, you can relive the sounds but how about when you listen to the sounds?

Reading it further, I could realize that there are a lot of factors and categories that come into play with soundscape projects. For example, the mention of the ‘hi-fi environment’ and ‘lo-fi environment’ makes me realize how varied the outcome of each soundscape project can be. The specific categories such as sound walks, sound maps, and transects also talks in depth about a lot more specifics. It is also very interesting to see how sounds could be used to create instant experiences such as sound walks where people follow a specific path to gain more knowledge and have an unique experience.

After reading the resource, I have finally thought out the idea for my soundscape project. I want to work on documenting a lot of my personal tourist experience in New York City. I want to be able to focus on all three aspects: human, mechanical, and environmental. Even if I am not able to show it all in one final outcome, I am looking to have multiple soundscape projects that go for 30-45 seconds that reflects my ideas. As for the environment is concerned, I feel like a major part of this project might focus on ‘lo-fi’ environment because of New York being a huge city but since I am also looking to focus a lot on specific places, maybe I might be able to switch that environment a little. There will be a lot of keynote sounds like wind and traffic noises that might affect a lot of the final outcome but I will make sure to minimize those noises. If I can find any sound marks, I will make sure to add those in as well.