Assignment 9/2- Reflections on the importance of sounds in my life.

   Tim Wakefield, One day like this. 

Retrieved from: http://elbow.co.uk/one-day-like-soundwave-art-  charity/


OBSERVATIONS ON SOUNDS. REFLECTION

Life:What I realize about sound surrounding my life is that I either ignore it, or focus on it. I cannot hear well in my left ear due to diving. I have a rupture with the tympanum membrane of my eardrum. which means that high pitched sounds can hurt my ear intensely. I am not deaf, but have problems listening. When going outside on the street, I have to block sounds, mainly multiple  sounds, as well as intense sounds irritate my ear; if this happens I can loose my balance and fall (it has happen before). Because of this reason, I enjoy listening to separate sounds, as well to slow sounds (like walking on leaves, or air brushing through things). I love going to the beach because it is when my ears can rest, the sound of the water really helps my ears listen. 

Music is another sound that always has been around me, my dad is a musician so I always had him play music in my house. Music also makes me feel calm when there are too many thoughts in my head (and many times that makes me feel all tense and frustrated). And music helps blocking other sounds as well, and concentrate. 

In the arts: Art and sound are hand in hand. It is an important part of art that can inspire you to create. As I can observe, sound is also an art form that can be used. A friend of mine created an amazing thesis show where she interviewed several different persons about their experience immigrating to the United States. She played them altogether to make it into a immersive and confusing dialogue about immigration. 

If i would create an installation piece that connects my observations of the world around me, it would be about how I cannot hear several sounds altogether, to give the sense of unbalance, make others feel what I feel, as well to see my reactions towards being in an installation with all the sounds emerged. 

In the curriculum: In the curriculum, sound has so much potential. There are two ways I can see art being in the curriculum, either as the art of listening, or actually engaging with sounds and the interpretation students can create towards it. The art of listening would be an interesting take on how you listen to others, about empathy, as well to take your time and listen to the world around you, because we are rushing too much all the time. Students would definitely use a project of sound as an opportunity to listen to everyday sounds they are always around them that become part of the background noise, and bring them to the front. When doing so, the translation can be literal (creating an image, painting, collage, sculpture), or it can be conceptual (creating another sound piece, an installation, a social driven activity). 

Sounds are all around us, and using this in the curriculum will give another layer to how art is so multifaceted.