Material Sound

Assignment Three – Material Sound

In this assignment, you will explore how sounds made by objects (material things) can be transformed into a sonic experience, you will explore the physicality of sound and create a sound composition characterized by the sound qualities of an object you create. You will collect a range of different objects/materials to create/build an alternative sound generating source, and work through a range of sound experiments. The focus of this assignment is to foreground a physical engagement with the elements that produce sound and to find a tactile, hands-on approach to making a sound composition. We will tune our attention to the material sound event- the circumstances that produced the sound-

Part A- Sound Object

Create an experience that is focused on the making of sound through materials. Your project may take any form. There are no restrictions beyond that you must build it, and it must make sounds that interest you. You must be prepared to demonstrate/play your sound object. For example, you might perform a short, structured improvisation, or set it up as an interactive installation for others to perform, or it might operate on its own (kinetically). It will be assessed both as an independent sound-object and on the success of the sound composition (Part B) the sound work you create with it.

Ideas

-Design and build a handmade non-traditional instrument

-Use electronic components, microcontrollers, circuit bending, etc. to make noise

-Find outmoded technologies, repurpose them (hack them) make an orchestra

-Build a kinetic sculpture: an sonic object that depends on motion for its effects

-Make a sound costume, and perform a sound dance

-Build something that interacts with the weather/natural environment- wind, rain, etc.

Experiment with the sounds that your “sound object” can make. Are they interesting?

How will the object’s sounds be incorporated into the composition?

Are the sounds diverse enough, interesting, complex?

Do they point back to the object, is there a relationship between the material and the sound/what we hear and see?

Record your sounds (link to instructions)

Part B Material Sound Composition 

After recording you will use Adobe Audition to edit and compile your sounds into a multi-track composition, roughly 60-90 seconds in length. You must use at least four recorded sounds in your final composition. You will make a sonic montage using recordings of your sound object. You may layer, process, alter or experiment with any of the sounds. Manipulate sounds by reversing the audio, shifting pitch, looping, panning, reverb, delay, sampling, layering, cutting/pasting, etc. roughly.

For this assignment, no CC sound samples may also be used (creative commons or public domain)

To be submitted:

Take an image of your sound object (do this with care)

In premiere: add your wav file to an audio track and use your still image as the video.

Example here:

DEADLINE:

(Submit your mp4 video file (still image & audio composition) by 9 AM on ELMS Canvas.

Corrections/Changes after VoiceThread Comments: submit new WAV files using the same assignment link by Wednesday, 5 PM (not required)

Bottom of Form