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When I first read the instructions for the audiography, my first instinct was to think \u201ceh\u2026 I\u2019ll do that later\u201d because I had absolutely no idea where to start.\u00a0 <\/span>There are so many sounds I hear throughout my day that I do not even think twice about, so how can 10 of these sounds hold any importance or value to me? A few days passed by and the assignment was still looming over my head.\u00a0 <\/span>I realized that any time I would try and think about this project, I would distract myself by walking away from my desk to a more comfortable space.\u00a0 <\/span>That is when it dawned on me that my audiography had to be centered on the theme of comfort. <\/span><\/p>\n No matter how upset or angry I may be, I will always dance and rap along to some of my favorite songs; it is the only stimuli that can instantly change my mood.\u00a0 <\/span>For this reason, the first sound in my audiography is a recording of Meek Mill and Drake\u2019s song \u201cRICO\u201d, which I use as the alarm on my phone to wake myself up every morning. Provided that I grew up just outside of Philadelphia, hip-hop has always been a big part of my life.\u00a0 <\/span>Listening to rap music definitely reminds me of home and helps wake me up in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n After I get up from bed, I make my way down the hall towards the showers.\u00a0 <\/span>The white noise of the water quickly rushing out of the shower head and eventually hitting my body provides the perfect environment for me to clear my mind and forget about anything that is stressing me out.<\/span><\/p>\n Although I love music and showers, my morning would not be complete without a cup of coffee.\u00a0 <\/span>The sound of my Keurig making coffee is included in the audiography because it represents the true start of my day.\u00a0 <\/span>Without coffee, my brain is mush.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Coffee in hand, I make my way over to the bus stop.\u00a0 <\/span>The next sound is a recording from the inside of the Redstone Express.\u00a0 <\/span>Listening to people talk on the bus and hearing the squeaks and creeks of the busses reminds me of taking the bus to school every day back at home, which is definitely a comforting reminder of life in PA.<\/span><\/p>\n When I am all finished with my classes, I make my way back to Redstone via the Ankle Express (walking).\u00a0 <\/span>When I make it out of the tunnel by the Davis Center, I am met with a long stretch of quiet, lonely land.\u00a0 <\/span>This absence of sound is important to me because it is one of the only times throughout my day where I can get some time away from people and noise for a little.<\/span><\/p>\n I inevitably end up snacking when I get home from a long day of school, so I included the sound of a wrapper crackling in my audiography.\u00a0 <\/span>Of course, food is an extremely comforting substance that everyone enjoys.\u00a0 <\/span>As a result, it is obvious why I included it in a recording of comforting sounds.<\/span><\/p>\n Once I am done with my snack, there is nothing I want to do more than to just sit back and hang out with my friends.\u00a0 <\/span>For this reason, I decided to include the sounds of video games playing because that is typically where we all migrate to in order to forget about the day.<\/span><\/p>\n When I was younger, I was always taught the importance of eating dinner together as a family.\u00a0 <\/span>Similarly at UVM, I always make sure to bring my friends with me to dinner so we can all eat and talk together.\u00a0 <\/span>The loud chatter of students in Simpson certainly reminds me of my family talking around the dinner table back at home.<\/span><\/p>\n Once dinner is finished, the worst part of the day pulls around: homework time.\u00a0 <\/span>I always listen to music while doing homework because, as i mentioned earlier, hip-hop music is extremely comforting to me because of the memories that are tied to the songs and culture.\u00a0 <\/span>As a result, my second to last sound is the scratching of my pen against paper as I am doing homework.\u00a0 <\/span>Young Thug\u2019s \u201cCheck\u201d is also playing in the background.<\/span><\/p>\n The last sound that I decided to include in my audiography is the click of my bedside lamp as I turn it off for the night.\u00a0 <\/span>When I hear this noise, I instantly calm down knowing that the day is finally over and that I can get some rest.<\/span><\/p>\n Similar to Barthes\u2019 analysis of \u201cThe Grain\u201d, or the idea that people are heavily influenced by music, I feel like there is a grain to everyday life.\u00a0 <\/span>Sure, not all sounds contain words that can be interpreted\/ understood, but they nevertheless change our feelings and perception of the world around us.\u00a0 <\/span>I believe that the comforting sounds I chose for my audiography are a fair and accurate representation of what I believe my grain in life is at UVM.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Works Cited:<\/span><\/p>\n Barthes, Roland. “The Grain of the Voice.” (1997): 179-89.<\/span><\/p>\n Williams, Robert Rihmeek, and Aubrey Drake Graham. R.I.C.O. Meek Mill Ft. Drake. Vinylz, 2015. Youtube. Web. 4 Oct. 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n Williams, Jeffrey Lamar. Check. Young Thug. London on Da Track, 2015. Youtube. Web. 5 Oct. 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n \n Sounds:<\/p>\n\n