Good Morning

Well, I'm happy to report that I successfully completed my first assignment for Digital Sound. If I knew how to upload the pieces, I would; but I don't, so I won't.

The Noise piece was meant to be annoying because it was based on my experience in an empty stairwell on the second floor at school. All I could hear was the ventilation system, something that sounded like a jack-hammer, and my ears ringing. My time in the stairwell was painful. Still is was an outstanding bit of sound, so I tried to recreate the loud, annoying experience for everyone. I did this one first and am glad that I did.

The Music piece was light and happy because it was based on sitting alone in large lecture hall listening to the sounds in the hallway. It was nice to sit in a darkened room all alone and just breathe. At the end of my five minutes, I heard someone walk by with keys on their backpack that provided the the rhythm of my piece. I really liked making this piece.

My Music/Noise piece was based on my time sitting by the Military Memorial at school. The location is pretty and peaceful with three flags flapping in the wind. The piece I put together didn't reflect the peace at the Memorial; but rather, it reflected a tiny bit of what a soldier might go through while deployed. Dissonant music underneath explosions, machine guns, gasping for air, babies crying, screams and finally the silence of the flag flapping in the wind. I'm really quite pleased with it. I kept thinking about who we are memorializing with a Military Memorial and what they might have gone through before they died. I guess this might be my message piece.

I've known a few veterans in my day, and none of them ever wanted to talk about the wars that they were in. One was a Pearl Harbor hero and my elementary school, best friend's father. Another was a Vietnam vet who lived across the street from us up on 13th Avenue who attempted to kill himself and had PTSD. I dated another Vietnam vet who had been a helicopter pilot; he was 30, and I was 20. The last most notable vet runs a plumbing business in the town I used to work in, and his daughter is a vet, too. I've known more veterans, but these four stick out in my mind simply because they touched my heart in some special way even though each experience is as unique as they were and are.

Well, that's it for this morning. I started to write this last night at about 12:20am, but my computer decided to go all wonky. Glad the blog site saved what I'd written.

I'm off for another marvelously productive day. My jeans are clean and laying right behind me. Hmmmmmm....... :D