Andrea Hammer Articles Response

Audible Evidence

Summarize:

This article deals with the listening of places and the meanings they conjure. Hammer wonders how places speak, and looks to examples from artists for answers. Richard Lerman recorded places with his Fence-Border work, which Hammer describes as "haunting." Hammer notices a relationship between the senses- even when hearing is the only one being stimulated. Lerman alludes to his sites as having eyes. Hammer defines soundscape to be "the total acoustic environment in which one is immersed, a 'total field of sound wherever we are.'" Hammer discusses disembodiment and context when listening to soundscapes and the like.

Connection?

I think that with our vox pop it may be hard to draw a connection. We tried to include the sounds of the sites we were at by layering them underneath the voices. I think that since the voices change so rapidly, it's difficult to get a sense of the environment. However, I think that listening to seemingly disembodied voices without context also proves to be a worthwhile experience.

New York Sound Lines

Professor Hammer discusses the way she plans to go about capturing the soundscape of Endicott, N.Y. Endicott was once a booming industrial town, but is currently a Superfund site with great pollution and economic depression. Hammer discusses how she plans to not only record the stories of the town's citizens, but also the changing ambient sounds that exist in Endicott.

Connection?

I think this is more along the lines of what I want to pursue with the overall project. Like I stated above, we tried to include some of the ambient sounds of Armory Square while we were making our vox pop, but it was not our focus. I now see the importance and will strive for ambience in future projects.

Questions for Professor Hammer:

1. Article 1- In what ways have audio documentary and its methods changed throughout the years? Do you think that audio documentary is something that has helped people learn about the past? Are there specific examples you can give?

2. Article 2- How did you go about literally recording the idea of economic depression and th other negative, intangible aspects of the town with ambient recordings?

3. Overall-I was wondering if Professor Hammer thought that if listening to such places only had an effect on people who could gather memories of it or understand it fully. Does someone need to have prior knowledge to be effected by these sounds? I'm sure that the sounds of places effect everyone, but is it really only those who are paying enough attention?