Reading (and listening) about the ways sounds effect, have effected, influence and (sometimes) interfere with our lives was interesting. The "readings" for this class have all make me somewhat rethink the way I think of perceiving things (which says a lot considering I took history of avant-garde cinema last semester). I thought I have considered most of these things before because of my studies of other aspects of cinema, but these videos and readings have given me so many new ideas and made me wonder.
Thinking of the media fast in regard to the acoustic ecology readings has caused me to consider things I hadn't considered. I was paying more attention to the things I could see when I was on the media fast. For example, when in a crowded, busy environment - like the gym - I would try to zone out and absorb everything I could see all at once, without consciously identifying the individual items in my mind. So I would look at a large space with a lot of movement and just look, not focusing on any single point, and it was interesting to think of things like that. I noticed that all of society is one giant working machine, and thinking of things in big terms like that removes the individuality from the mind.
However, after considering the acoustic ecology readings, it was interesting to think back to the night I went out late and did photography in the snow/ice. It was silent. And I remember thinking "man, it's quiet out here tonight." But I didn't REALLY think about the sounds I was hearing until I did the reading. There were the drones of distant traffic and cars, but not any where near as much as usual. And that was creepy. It was almost unnerving, and come to think about it, that was one of the things that attracted me to go out that night. I realized how quiet and alone I felt. So anyway, there was a LOT to think about and reconsider this past week.
Media Fast Video
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