Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Exists - Rec 5

Here is the last sound recording of my drift walk. What I recorded was the ambiance of the area. There are two major points with this recording. It is very quite. We are suppose to be overwhelmed with the sound of screaming traffic. However, what you hear if you really listen is the sound of a squirrel moving around in the leaves. It is just amazing how this detailed sound can exist in the city of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. I hope you can see that the city embodies more than what meets the eye. Check it out. Click here

Movement - Rec 4















Here is my fourth recording. You will hear the sound of a dog breath past the mics. I really liked this because it offered some excitement to the recording. I hope you are starting to feel a different perspective on city life. I hope you are starting to understand that each of these recordings are examples of a diversity that is easily missed.
Check it out. Click here

Beautiful - Rec 3

Here is the third place I recorded. You can see that the trail stretches into a covering of trees. The Milwaukee River Trail is between two extremely busy streets that stream traffic to and from the heart of Milwaukee. This vain of natural surroundings is the midwife of a new type of city
sounds. The sounds in this recording are people steaming to and from the heart of Milwaukee. However, the experience it completely different then what you might consider city life to be.
Check it out. Click here

Natural - Rec 2

Here is a picture of an entrance to the Milwaukee River Trail, off Prospect Ave. I performed my second recording about were that man in black is walking. I moved just off the trail to the left of the man and nestled into the brush. I discovered a cricket. Now, you might think, "wow a cricket?", but the reality of the situation is. This is a sound that is not one I would consider a city sound. However, it can be heard, and it is there. The cricket is only heard by those listening. The people on the trail walk it, because they want to experience something outside of what is considered city. However, they are actually in the midst of it. The Milwaukee River Trail exists because people of Milwaukee, WI crave diversity. And to look at city life and forget about the natural aspect of it can be easy in an area that seems mechanical. This sound of a cricket demonstrates that there is a more than just mechanical arteries pumping the city of Milwaukee.

In the recording you can hear the cricket. I used low mic sensitivity to pick up the details of it's sound. Also, you can still hear the drone of traffic. However, it takes on a more relaxing ambiance, and actually sounds more like water flowing in a stream. It is amazing how a cricket can change the perception of location. Check it out. Click here

City, You Think - Rec. 1


Milwaukee, WI is consumed with the sound of traffic. It seems the hustle of people and traffic is what brings life to the heart of this city. However, I discovered that it is not just the hustle of people and traffic, but a vain of a more natural life does exist and also contributes to diverse city life.

I have posted a series of sound recordings. They will take you on a journey through a vain of Milwaukee, WI. The vain I exploited will convey a variety of different sounds. The map below donates the accurate location of where I recorded each sound, and above the map is my drift walk strategy. It will be important to associate yourself with these details before indulging into the sound recordings.

This First recording I took, because I wanted to clarify the expectations people have of city life. It is a constant stream of traffic moving in and out of the heart of the city. The way I recorded the traffic passing, should create a strong impression of movement and flow. Also, the picture is I took later in the evening because I decided I wanted to evoke a feeling mystery and uncertainty, and I felt a picture in a darker atmosphere would accomplish it.
Here is my first recording. Check it out. Click Here

Drift Strategy

Hello,
My drift strategy was explore the city of Milwaukee. I chose a very small area near the heart of the city. My strategy was to start my drift walk (Listening to Milwaukee) on the cusp of busy city life. Because, it seems the only thing you can be sure to hear in the city daily, is the noise of traffic. It flows up, down, across, it's everywhere. I know sometime I forget that there are other things that I can be heard. So my drift strategy was to focus in on those sound.

I found a vein just off the city street of Prospect Ave. It pumps a different sound to the heart of Milwaukee. I started my recording on the side of the street. I then traveled down onto the Milwaukee River Trail. I decided that I would take five recording samples at seventy feet apart to see if other sounds could be heard.

A Vessal of Milwaukee


Please click on the green markers for additional information on my drift.




View Larger Map

Introduction

Hello everyone,

Listening to Milwaukee is a blog were I will document and compose a "drift walk". A drift walk means you create a strategy and try to follow it as best you can. Your strategy will cause you to drift about the city, hence, drift walk. A drift strategy can be very simple or complex. It is really up to you. Also, when I say compose. I mean more that I will explore and pursue a particular idea. The idea is base my drift strategy. I will upload a map for my drift walk; it will provide location, extent (traveled distance), recoding points, and why I chose to record there. I will disclose my drift strategy too.

These are the types of things you can expect in the post to come. I hope you enjoy. I really had a wonderful time experimenting with this drift walk.