Description of Projects
Soundscape studies is a cross-university elective. This is in keeping with the principles of acoustic ecology, where the objective to transform urban acoustic space is open to all. As many of the students had no experience with sound, the focus was not so much on the quality of performances as it was the demonstrable manner with which they engaged with the “voice” emanating from the exhaust stack. They were assessed on their capacity to respond thoughtfully and sensitively to site-specific conditions, while making a clear connection to the theoretical approaches described above.
There were six music industry, two sound art, two landscape architecture and two engineering students, all from undergraduate courses. While some of them had musical experience, none of them had been exposed to soundscape issues and had not participated in sound design activities. Yet, they all approached the intervention with interest, responding enthusiastically to the opportunity to interact with an acoustic space that is typically beyond the power of people to transform.
The interventions will now be discussed. All interventions were recorded in Ambisonics B-format and later mixed down into stereo audio files. An audio sample has been included with the description of each project.
Attenuating Nature
The phrase “Attenuating Nature” took into account the masking effect of noise from the exhaust fan outlet on the surrounding space. The phrase itself referred to the students’ belief that noise is problematic insofar as it makes local natural sounds inaudible. It had become clear to these students during the shutdown that distant sounds were being masked. Masked natural sounds identified near the site included birdsong, water movement (from a fountain), wind blowing through leaves of adjacent trees, human voices, and footsteps. To emphasize the masking effect, natural sounds within the vicinity of the exhaust outlet were recorded, edited, and mixed back into the site. This intervention deciphered the environment, focusing on the CRESSON sound effect “mask,” while simultaneously embracing the acoustic ecology concept of the acoustic horizon.[4] The intention was to transform the site by re-empowering the natural through the introduction of water sounds and human voices. This intervention had an educational aspect as well as a creative aspect in that it made people aware of the sounds that were being masked by the dominant sound as well as transforming the acoustic space through a creative inversion of the acoustic horizon. Audio sample 1 includes two of the employed creative approaches. The first is the recreation of a “wind-type” sound, and the second includes vocal treatments.
Vent: the Musical
While the title is playful, it does adequately capture the intent of the intervention. The dominant sound from the exhaust outlet was treated as an accompanying instrument to a musical performance. All sounds created by this student group were related to the drone emanating from the exhaust outlet. A cello was played using the dominant frequency identified in the sound, which happened to be A (440Hz). Additional sounds were derived from pre-recorded voices and location recordings, combined with a performance by a live singer. This combination augmented the drone so that it sounded like a duet of voices, at times creating the sense that the voice was coming out of the exhaust stack. According to the students, this intervention utilized the acoustic ecology aesthetic of considering the “soundscape of the world as a huge musical composition” (Schafer 1975: 205) by transforming the site into a musical experience. Audio sample 2 demonstrates the weaving of the cello sounds in and around the drone.
Exhaling Through Metal and Flesh
This intervention used approximately twenty different air-conditioning and ventilation sounds recorded around the RMIT campus. These sounds were introduced into the site with the intention of transforming it into a symphony of air-conditioners. The filtration effect was considered through an analysis of the mid to high frequency range, which was amplified by the reflective surface of the overhead metal awning. Air-conditioning audio samples that exhibited similar sonic characteristics were selected for playback in the space. Additionally, a human voice breathing in and out was sampled, an idea that stemmed from the theme of the voice of the city. The exhaust fan sound was conceptualized as an ongoing exhalation; by introducing sampled breath, the sound was transformed into inhalations and exhalations. While this approach, which actually enhances the presence of lo-fi sound, might be considered aesthetically poor from an acoustic ecology standpoint, it is arguably more complimentary to the sound art approach. As described above by Hellström, sound art allows us to “enter deeply into the sound world (and) reveal its riches” (Hellström 2003: 204). Audio sample 3 demonstrates the transformation of the acoustic environment into something that sounds alive.
Erhu and iPad
Erhu and iPad was a musical intervention that treated the exhaust outlet sound as an accompanying instrument. The idea was to use it as a backing drone over which higher frequency instruments would provide an interesting counterpoint. The intervention included the erhu, a stringed instrument originating in China, a virtual piano and a virtual pan flute application (both played on an iPad). The final result was closer to Mood Music (formerly Muzak) than either an acoustic ecology or CRESSON approach to soundscape design. The group ended up trying to create a listening experience that was more aesthetically pleasant. This has more in common with Mood Music’s intention to control social environments than an intention to enter into a dialogical relationship with existing conditions. Mood Music promises their clients to “develop a signature sound that’s a unique reflection of your brand and create a consistent experience in your locations across the globe.”[5] Music played in public locations risks becoming sonic pacification, which is not conducive to creative expression. However, this intervention also demonstrated some similarities to the acoustic ecology aesthetic in its intention to treat the soundscape as a composition. There were also some structural considerations, notably playing in a key similar to the dominant frequency band of the exhaust fan, thus creating a sense of musical harmony in the space. Overall, as heard in audio sample 4, this was a less successful intervention in that it resembled a busking performance that tried to beautify space more than a transformation based on a dialogical relationship with the noise source.
Jingle bells
Jingle Bells was unique in the context of the five interventions. It did not use electroacoustic treatments, instead using physical objects to create an interactive soundmaking site. This is unsurprising given that this group was comprised of two landscape architecture students. The transitional characteristic of the space was exploited in this design. Bubble wrap was placed on the ground so that people moving through the site created short high-pitched popping sounds with their feet, which was an interesting counterpoint to the low midrange (200-500 Hz) frequency drone of the exhaust outlet. Additionally, wind chimes were hung on the end of a tripod and suspended over the air exiting from the exhaust fan. The force of the air caused the wind chimes to move, introducing additional high frequency sounds into the space. This brought to public attention the physical existence of emitted air, thus serving an educational role in raising awareness of the sound source dominating the acoustic space. The tripod was also wrapped in bubble wrap, creating the effect of a synthetic tree with matching groundcover. Some people popped bubbles on the tripod, causing the wind chime to move, and thus – through interactive means – simultaneously introducing two sounds into the site. The intervention also encouraged people to loudly stamp their feet and jump over the bubble wrap. These gestures elicited laughter and conversation, stimulating both the social space and the sound environment. This intervention was unique in that it had the effect of redesigning the soundscape while simultaneously encouraging gesture, thus stimulating the transformation of social space into something more communicative and playful. “Jingle Bells” added to the acoustic ecology and CRESSON approaches by introducing an element of architectural play, in which “unfamiliar physical and social experiences in which we normally would not participate can be encouraged through play” (Franinovic 2010: 6). It achieved this with a focus on generating an acoustic space that augmented existing conditions. Audio sample 5 is actually a movie. Given the visual character of the intervention, it is important to gain a sense of its spatial arrangement. Note the wind chimes to the left of the image.