When initially delving into musical studies, music is explained in mathematical terms. There It is one of the few things that sprouting musicians can wrap their little minds around. For me the hardest of music was never playing the instrument, but rather deciphering key signature and how the notes fit into the texture of the piece. But music isn’t all in the notes on the page. It is the sounds that come as a result. Thus all sounds in a sense bear a musical quality. However, as Murray Schafer argues in “Open Ears”, although we lack ear lids, it doesn’t mean we hear every sound. The first step to give these sound musical qualities is to hear them.
Since I do not have any classes before 11, there is rarely ever a need to set an alarm, as I will wake up naturally. Or would be the case, if my roommates would allow it. Somehow they both mange to slam the door every time the leave the room. Although I find this incredibly annoying, it does bear certain rhythmic quality, as the door can only slam as fast as the hinges allow it. The second sound is the sound of my morning shower, wake up number two. I find water to be one the most soothing musical essences on the plant. Although I have never been able to fall asleep to it, I can certainly see why. After that it is off to the Grundle for breakfast, though there is nothing discerning it from another time of day. The clattering of silverware, shuffling of feet, and overlapping conversations make it impossible to discern one sound from another so that it all just meshes together into to one wave of noise. Incomprehensible sounds such as this do have certain musical qualities to them, as utilized in songs such as “Kids” by MGMT. The fourth sound in the recording is my bike, the cranking of my chain through the gears, around and around in the one direction that will propel me forward. Sometimes I ride just for the sake of it, with no destination or purpose in mind. This is music in itself.
The next two sounds, I will admit, are actually associated with music. The first a series of breathing exercises designed to fill up the diaphragm, then fill up the excess lung space in the chest, to finally release it all in one moment. The next is a clip of me playing a piece from a seating placement several years ago. Although I did terrible in the audition, I still enjoy the piece, as it portrays both the technical ability and range of the player’s ability. As a tuba player, particularly in pep and marching bands, we are there to grove. Just as Shelley Trower in “Hearing Vibrations” uses the example of reacting to the vibrations felt throughout the body, tuba players naturally react based upon the vibrations of the ensemble. In the end it does not matter whether we play exactly the right note as long as we play at the right moment.
This next sound in the podcast is the only one I would associate with being school related. It is the sound of my pencil scratching in my notebook and the occasional shuffle of pages. Clicking my pencil, I scratch as a way for stimulation, sometimes even intentionally doing so in some sort of rhythmic form. The next sound is again directly musical related, as it is me playing the fiddle (terribly, I might add). This was a project that I picked up near the end of high school, as I realized that I my musical career could be coming to a close. I wanted to continue, and as much as I love the tuba, it is not the most versatile of instruments. So after some meddling, I eventually came to the fiddle. I say fiddle because that is the kind of music that I have chosen for myself (If one can call it that). After that is the overpowering sound my roommates’ six fans, that although noisy, do eventually lull me into a deep sleep. The final noise on my list is not one periodically heard at the end of the day for me, but rather at week’s end, as I venture forth to explore and challenge myself on a new river. In sense I kayak whitewater so that I may be humbled by the rivers immense power. Thus completes my musical composition.
Works Cited:
Schafer, Murray. “Open Ears.” Journal of Acoustic Ecology (2003): 38. Print.
Trower, Shelley. “Introduction Hearing Vibrations.” In Senses of Vibration. New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group, 2012.
Awesome! I really enjoyed your essay and podcast. I thought it was really interesting how you were able to associate certain sounds to music, such as the vibrations and the tuba, as well as the incomprehensible sounds of the Grundle to the song “KIDS” by MGMT. Also going back to the tuba, your relation to the vibrations article by Trower to the vibrations of the Tuba was perfect. It is a great example of Trower’s main points in her article. Overall your podcast was really good and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
I totally agree with you that water is definitely one of the most soothing sounds out there. I also loved your connection of vibrations and the tuba. I used to play the saxophone and even though it isn’t the same I remember while playing not only hearing the sound that was being produced but also feeling the vibrations through my body.
I really enjoyed your essay because you seem to have a great understanding of sound considering you’re a musician. I enjoyed reading about how you related “hearing vibrations” to playing the tuba. I loved how you put the sound of kayaking in the end because i also like to kayak. Well done.
I really liked your idea on thinking and listening in musical perspective and I can relate to it as I find often find myself doing the same. I also liked when you said “this is music itself” in reference to the sound your bike chain made. The rhythm of sounds seems to be something that you enjoy and recognizing the rhythm supports your idea on musical perspective. Your essay was well organized and lined up well with the audio and I really liked the whole flow of the project.
As a fellow musician, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the way you hear music in your every day life. It was a nice way to hear the world from your perspective, and your blog helped facilitate how I also interpreted the sounds as I heard them. I also appreciated that you were able to make connections between your own life and the sounds that surround you, and songs like “Kids.” I’m so glad you included clips of yourself actually playing several instruments! It’s great that you’re working on continuing your musical experience by learning and exploring new forms of sound creation.
Dylan,
I really loved your podcast. I did mine on a similar theme, and even had a lot of the same noises. I didn’t take a musical or rhythmic perspective, though. It is so cool how you paid attention to the sounds in your life within a musical perspective. It makes me want to try to think about the noises in my life that I hear but might not always register the patterns of.
The essay was really great too. I think it brings the listener through the sounds in an organized and comprehendible way. Overall, it’s a solid and flowing piece.