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Details and break down of project. 

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vS0gZ4MbfvBZVSnrV59gRDnybS428gsWR0O26X5vkLlovG5rNTO5wUJ5duUQRhWHnb9wwgMi4Rolv35/pub

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Creative (ice_breakers) Greenland Project

Description of Creative position and installation.

CREATIVE

Mission statement, group thesis. Our artistic lens aims to show the extent to which anthropogenic activities cause ruin to the natural world.

Our group is headed to Greenland in order to observe the calving of glaciers and to see how human activities affect the environment. The data will be acquired through pre-made recording “spheres” to be dropped into the arctic set to capture the sounds of moving glaciers. These samples are then going to be converted into the software to transcode the forms into usable sound for our art piece. The production and execution of our piece will use the sounds acquired from our Greenland exposition and use them to shatter/break apart slowly a marble/plaster cube.

The idea for this concept comes from global warming and the effects it's having on specifically Greenland's arctic regions. The sonic environments in these frozen scapes are yes remote, barren, hard to get to, but still just as important as sounds in rain forests. Why is this region so important?  Because it’s out of sight and out of mind. Our group hopes to change that and bring real awareness and change to these regions that are suffering, UN noticed for the majority.

We hope to team up with various organizations and nonprofits such as Chasing Ice and Greenpeace, later on down the road. In order to possibly be able to tour the installation across the world. Creating workshops and lectures about the arctic's fight for survival. This is important to keep the conversation going and spread awareness. 

Our goal is though sound and art we can help these hot topic conversations come into the light instead of being pushed into the shadows. It’s common knowledge for the most part, people should know the ice caps are melting and glaciers are falling apart and calving. But why is this treated like it’s non existent? This is what we hope to change and address. We as a planet cannot just ignore the problem. So we set out on a mission, to create a calving effect on a large scale that you can witness and not have to go to the arctic. We feel this is a major part of the disconnection that the arctic is in remote regions of the world. So we are bringing it to you, through an art installation called “Breaking Ice.” Where you will be able to see the effects of glacial calving and global warming combined.

This will be accomplished in various ways. First our team has designed data spheres which can be stand alone and dropped into calving regions. These spheres are carbon fiber, GPS enabled, battery, sensor enabled, water resistant devices, created and designed for this project. These can capture 60 GB of data each, sounds and vibrations from glacier calving. These will then later be collected and used for data points in the installation transcoding. 

The idea for this comes from glaciers themselves. How could we bring this massive reaction glaciers are having to global warming and showcase it in a museum or gallery space? While showing how bluntly its being ignored and treated like it’s not happening. This is a major focus on the project. We don't realize till it’s too late, or it happens over such a large span of time that it just doesn't click or seem to be adding up, but it is.  This is what we want to showcase and convey, it's the elephant in the room that nobody can see. 

We decided to come up with a smaller prototype for a demo, then we will scale up. We picked a white plaster or marble to work with for tests, to convey ice or the quality of snow/ice pack in the installation. The lines in the marble will also help convey the idea and look of ice. This installation piece will take months for it to do its complete performance. That's the idea, at the opening of the show you may just see a white marble cube, just fine and pristine. Then you come back a week later and nothing has changed. You decided to come back in another week, and you see it, a hairline fracture starting its way up the side of the block. Looking harmless but non the less there it is. You come back one week later again, then you notice a second and third crack, but these are cracks, not hairlines.  You come back on the last week of the exhibition, to see the cube in rubble. When did this happen you might think?  Well, it was happening the whole time, it’s just the distance or illusion in time that separates us from cause and effect. We hope to close that gap and bring time on the front steps of people's beliefs about the environment.

We have assembled a team that has one Creative, Logistics and Budget personal to orchestrate this project. We have created a gear list, travel costs, days out in the field for research and dates to go back and gather the data spheres. So far our timeline and budget projects seem to stay within our goal. We’re able to save on the cost of flights due to the virus so we’re able to put more money into our gear which was nice. Once we have our first prototype done, we will use this in hopes to get more funding. Which we would use to build the full scale plaster cube that's 10ft x 10ft. We originally had a budget of 20k for the initial research and prototype. If we can pull this off, how we planned, we should be good to go. To build the actual full scale piece would cost about 10k, plus time and materials. The next step is figuring out how to tour this, being site specific. We probably would just rebuild in each city, considering the cube will crumble at the end of the exhibition.  The time and duration's of the shows would be an average of 3 months. We would also produce small scale versions to distribute across the globe to help spread awareness on glacier calving. This is just an overview of the creative aspects of the project.

[chanceodekirk]

That’s a wrap

I just wanted to leave a few last thoughts on the quarter and this course. One of my favorite class days during my whole experience at DU, was when Tim did a performance in the Hyper Cube. This was in March 2020. This performance was about the research he’s doing on whales. The visuals, the sound, how it was all trans-coded together, was humbling and powerful. This is exactly the types of works I want to do and be a part of. I think its through methods like these that we will be able to bring awareness and change to these causes. Tim’s by far my favorite professor and practicing artist I know. I was really lucky to have a few classes with him and have him as my advisor. I truly hope to work with him in the future on new projects!

[chanceodekirk]

                                                 Sound Walk

(location of study) School for Gifted Children

By Women's study building

Sounds

Hammer on wood,

Hammer banging metal door knob/air drill

Leaves on vine rustling to be set free.   (natural)

Onomatopeia

Dua-Dua-Da

Clink Clink bang, zinggg

Wosh ra ra swoosh, bussh busssh

Soundscape

Cars, Construction, machines.

Asbury 4 way stop sign.

Sounds

Airplane flying above

Leaves blowing in the wind

Construction sounds, backhoe

Onomatopoeia

Brrrr.uuuuummmmmm.

Kus.ta ta ka wooshhh taaa shk

Beeeeep beeeeeep Beeeeeep

Soundscapes

Cars stopping and speeding back up. WInd, Construction noises.

Almost to destination

Natural wind

Voices, muffled over noise, construction yelling and kids voices faintly.

Cars driving by

Onomatopoeia

Woohhh ooohhhhisshhhh ehhhh haaaaa haaaaaaaa

Ah eh, Yah I, EHHH AH Yah heeeeyyyyy

zzzzz.ing.zing

Soundscape

Busy, cars, people, voices, alive progress.

Destination

Ahhhh ehy la eh, laughing, and playing.

Traffic zooming by on Evans Ave

Leaves rustling

Onomatopoeia

Ahhhh ehy la eh,laaa hhaaaaaa eeyyyyyyy laaaaaa

Zoooom woooosh zoooom zooom whosh whosh zoom

Shhhh, kaaaaa, taaaaaa, swoosh, skkkkhhhhhhh

Soundscape

Busy, Traffic, cars driving on Evans

Doors opening and closing, kids laughing and playing.

[chanceodekirk]

2 Sound Walk

Sound walk 2

Andersons Commons Reading room.

Notes

Pen clicks, paper rustles, backpacks moving. Every sound is magnified. Small resonance  or echo, can hear heating, keyboards typing and mouse clicks.

No voices or loud noise, talking, plastic bags, chewing, or machine, phone, car, beeps, door opening and closing also known as noise distractions.

Compare

More soft base to sound, felt encased in pillow yet a china bowl. Both quiet spaces, this one is more thought and focus provoking for studying.

SIE Complex 

Notes,

Talking, echo of talking, coats rustling, trying to talk softly, walking on carpet, air heater system, outside machines, construction, canopy  sharpe crisp sounds. No loud noises, phones, music, t.v, cars. Interesting sound space, feels antique. 

Compare 

Solid crisp, colder, small room, enchanted ceiling, more light,echo, white noise, more encapsulating and reverberation less furniture to absorb sound.

[chanceodekirk]

This was a very unique opportunity to record. When I was walking my dogs, I saw two geese quacking. But they each take turns, When you listen, one geese quacks then the next one does. Even though it sounds like one, they are each taking turns after every quack. They also seemed to be quacking at cars and trying to tell them to leave. My dogs really liked listening to the geese and so did I. I would like to get better at recording or get some equipment so I can do better on the fly recordings like this. This was such a good opportunity and it would have been even better with a zoom recorder and a good camera to capture the footage. But all in all I’m just glad I got the sound. Out of all my recordings I like this one the best, because its natural and unique. You would never know it was two geese unless you were there in the heart of Forest st.   To describe the sound goes as follows. hukkee onnnkke, huuuke, onnk, huuk, onk, lexicon and sound of onomatopoetic words.

[chanceodekirk]

My dogs keep me busy and I try to take them on walks everyday. On this walk for some reason I noticed the sound of their paws on the sidewalk. It could have been from the buildings so it was bouncing the sound more in ways I haven't heard. I’m not sure if you can tell, but there are two dogs walking. Total 8 paws going. It kinda just sounds like one dog though. Probably because of the background noise. When you listen super close it seems you can make out two dogs. I love the sound of their paws clicking on the sidewalk. It makes me wonder how it would sound if it was slowed down a ton. Would I be able to hear individual toenails tapping on the sidewalk when they land? I want to say that I probably could. Because you can hear the order in which their toes hit the sidewalk. Its not all at once, its very fast but they each take turns. Which makes the sound so unique if you listen very closely. It makes a sound that is as describe. Taaatt, claaaaiiik, Taattti claaaiiiik, taattti claaiiiik.  lexicononomatopoetic words. 

[chanceodekirk]

This is one of my favorite places. Its near a trail that I walk my dogs on and theres a small water fall. This place is surrounded by trees and nature even though its in the city I can still find peace and tranquility here.  The sound makes a WAAAA-AAAHHHHHH-SCHAAAAAAAAAA_CAAAAAAAAAA-SWAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAA. Is the  lexicon and onomatopoetic words I cam up with to describe. I now listen much closer to my enviroments when Im out and about and try to track down more where sounds are coming from because of this class. 

[chanceodekirk]

Rhythm

Rhythms 

This week's readings about rhythms are quite compelling. I had no idea that most music tempos were based on the human pulse. This section breaks down rhythms in many factors of our daily lives and beyond. Such as studying they sound rhythms that secluded villages make day in and day out and tragically fading away. Compared to larger cities and the ebb and flow of cars and machinery as rhythms. When a city goer wakes up and is on their daily commute to work and turns on the radio. Depending on who they are and what station they may be listening to, will determine the rate at which how many words per minute are spoken on the radio.  For example a younger audience such as pop and top trending song stations would have a higher words per minute than say a jazz or country station. This is determined by age and how fast people speak at those ages. 

These same types of rhythms are reflected in our circadian environments. Such as frogs and birds will take turns when starting or stopping their singing or crocking.  I don't know if it's taking turns or just the natural balance of rhythm they have synchronized into over 1000s of years, mostly likely its the latter. It's pretty amazing when just a couple frogs start and the rest will follow and then they will all stop together. Something else I found fascinating was when reading or speaking out loud what you are reading.  Based on what it is will change the breathing patterns as you read and how it sounds. Does it sound jammed and clogged or does it flow like a perfect breze? Will be very much determined by the tone of the writing.  

Simple things such as car horns and when a landline phone rings are too funny to hear the author talk about. But it’s crazy to hear the history on how these were developed with no thought for sound engineering until later on. But nowadays people can change their ring tones, but before that, the ringtone from a regular phone was designed to make you get up in a hurry to the phone. No wonder I would always run to the phone as a kid!

[chanceodekirk]

Brainwaves into Sound waves

This week's readings are of particular interest to me regarding brainwaves. It's neat to hear the story of how Alvin Lucier was introduced to brainwaves and how he incorporated them into his works. His first introduction to brainwaves was by the scientist Edmond Dewan. He used brainwaves in his piece ‘Music for solo performers in 1965’  To my understanding he had various instruments rigged up to trigger when he would have alpha brain waves picked up by the EEG. He then would transcode this to activate an array of drums and a tin can and a couple other instruments I believe.  

The performance sounds like a foley of rain hitting cans and tin roofs in a thunderstorm. One of his other pieces ‘Music on a long wire’ sounds almost alien and cosmic space noise. It seems as if at times you can make out music. It even sounds like music in an echo is coming down the wire, weird. It’s very surreal at ethereal. Like much of Lucier’s performances. It's these reasons he was not liked so much by his early contemporaries.  He was a music teacher but, exploring realms that were more rogue than then the traditional musical heard at the time. He found joy in inspiration from John Cage. Which who attended Luciers show ‘Music for solo performers.’  The funny part is that Lucier dedicated the performance to John cage who through talking to Lucier helped him suggest the idea in the first place. This is something that Lucier notes as inspiring, the person he looks up to help him create the first steps towards the piece.  

Alvin Lucier is a pioneer in many ways with his original technological performances in early tech days and one of the first to use such technologies for music. It's funny how he struggled to fall into the path of defining himself as a composer. He is but on on such a grand experimental level that has blazed trails for many. I'm so thankful he chose to step outside the box and brave the storm, he is a legend. I can't wait to do more research on him when I have time, and hope to build a installation similar to ‘Music on long wire’, for fun at school one day. I also have my own Interactive Brainwave Visual Analyzer and can use it to play music with my brainwaves. I love this kind of research and technologies. Brainwaves are something I have been doing my own personal research on for some time and have incorporated the use of EEG technologies into my art.

[chanceodekirk]

I love the sounds of machines, or at least mine LOL. The audio is dirty and super raw and could be recorded better, which I will try to do. However the laser in this recording is a loud beast anyhow, so I doubt that much audio could be cleaned up. But we will see if I give it another go. Mostly I just like the sound of the stepper motors bouncing back and fourth making precise movements to draw out designs with a laser, to me its music to my ears, my 3d printer and laser, working away, filling up my apt with smells that will probably you know give me super powers, slight side effects of home workshops. I need to work out my ventilation better, but its not the worst either. One day I hope to collect a bunch of these sounds from stepper motors and uses them to create a new sound piece. Truly these are some of my favorite sounds. To describe the sound goes as follows. Baaaaa, kaaaaaaa, suhhhhhhh, rrrrrrr, eeeeeeee, rrrrrrr, baaaaa, kaaaaaa,suhhhhhh, rrrrrr, eeeeeee,rrrrrrrr,eeeeeee, baaaaa, kaaaaaa, suhhhhh.

[chanceodekirk]

Lots of machine noises in the living space (apt/home) busy making projects for classes. This has been my sound environment the last 2 weeks, 3D printing everyday for a average of 10-12 hrs. When I got my first 3D printer that was one of the aspects I noticed right off the bat. Was the unique sounds they create bouncing between three axis points. I cant get enough of these sounds. Sometimes after a ten hr print it will somewhat start to kinda of bug me, but then its actually not bad. Its funny though, because when I do a 10 hr print or more, even when the printer stops. I can still hear it going, because my ears have been supersaturated with that one sound in particular. Leaving a burned image in my ears but of sound.  The laser and 3D printer are similar machines but they do sound different. Here is the sound description for the 3D printer.  lexicon and onomatopoetic words

ahhheeeee, eeeeehhhh, aeeeeee, umpp, zump, eeehhhhh, aeeeeeee, ump, zump, eeehhhhh aeeeee.

[chanceodekirk]

Noise, Sand Dunes, and The Electromagnetic Spectrum.

This week’s readings were very interesting and seemed to be a bit more experimenting going on with the authors. I’m still just amazed about all the insights I'm learning about in sound ecologies. This week one of the authors discussed trying to find singing sand dunes. The effect is created when sand starts to fold in and collapse upon itself after it has been shifted or moved by someone walking upon it for example. This in turn creates an avalanche of sand, and if it happens just right, it will create a really loud sound. This has been documented and witnessed all over the world but no one is quite sure the exact reasons for this occurrence, but they have some pretty good ideas.  The author was eventually able to find the perfect set of scenarios and was able to trigger a singing sand dune. I could only imagine how happy the author was.

One of the other readings dives into noise and the vast amounts of information and studies that have been and are being done. For example there are standards the governments of the world have set in place for healthy and not healthy noise levels and regulations to help keep harmful sounds out of populated areas. But the problem is the more people there are, the more noise there will be. But with having regulations in tack and safe standards for working environments etc this is a good step in the right direction on understanding the impact we are having on the noise we are creating in our populated cities and more. 

In the third reading this was very scifi and has an interesting beginning. My rough understanding is they are getting noise or feedback from airwaves or the electromagnetic spectrum, that is interacting or reacting to the electrical wires or devices they were using in the early days of the telegraph and phone. They would hear strange noises and this started a rush to understand what these sounds are coming from the cosmos or the music of the spheres.

[chanceodekirk]

Week 4_echos of spirits

All I can say is I’m learning so much from these readings, and they’re inspiring me tremendously. I may just wander over into the sound art filed for a while and get lost in the weeds. My brain goes in so many directions with this kind of knowledge and information that I had no idea even existed. For example this week when Tim showed us https://www.xeno-canto.org/ my mind was blown. I really just want to sit and experiment with sounds and capture sounds that are going extinct. I feel that this is such an important field of study and needs so much more light shed on it to bring more awareness to these endangered sound environments. 

Pauline Oliverosis someone who I tremendously look up to and strongly inspired by. I really resonate with her approach and spirituality to a degree. I feel that ones path and alignment very much coincides with their spirituality and or belief systems. Reflecting the inner world into the outer world. To me this is very evident in her soundscapes and experiments with sounds and ecoacoustics. I feel a very strong sense of spiritual influence when I listen to her work. In the readings one of her colleges mentioned she was one of the most or most spiritual persons she has ever met. I could see this and I do feel her spirituality in her music, and it very much aligns with my senses and ears. 

I really enjoyed the Sound book section this week, where they’re trying to discover or crack a myth that a duck's quack has no echo. It was fascinating to see how they approached this and too it into scientific investigation and rigorous study.  Long story short, a duck's quack doesn't echo.

[chanceodekirk]

So much sound

I ‘m really enjoying this course and sorry for posting late this week. I will do my best to not let that happen . Over all I am blown away by the  readings and the research that has been done before hand on this course and subject is just mind boggling. I truly feel like I am gaining a super power by seeing/ hearing sound and audio in a whole new light that is related to our environments and more. For example the morning choir and dawn choir how it is so dynamic depending on regions, environmental impacts and so much more.  I can tell the information I am learning I will use thought my whole life. I find it fascinating to know that sounds are being cataloged and documented like a library of species and so many are going extinct which is super sad. I also found it very interesting how much the sounds of insects trees and rocks. Just a whole gambit of things you would not be studied are being researched and recorded and put into algorithm to find out even more information. For example something I really enjoyed was they use just a simple clap to test the acoustics of environments such as caves or burial chambers.  They would use this as a gauge to tell the properties of the space. Another interesting debate is that the steps of the Mayan Pyramids create a chirp sound when you clap at the base of them. Some argue this was done intentionally for the priests to use audio magic on their subject etc for influence and power. However after much debate it still isn't solved but seems that it was a luck in design. There have been other steps that create a similar effect or chambers and halls that have a crazy good echo or acoustics and others that seem like they would but don't. Sometimes its the design and a stroke of luck other times it might just be a bad design and no luck.