So this afternoon I was fiddling around on garage band, and it was just so much fun (and easy to use). First, I dropped in my WAV file that I had recorded for this past Tuesday's class. Although I was unimpressed with my first draft, I was however impressed of how I mastered the Marantz, and managed to transfer it onto my computer and then successfully drop into garage band. Technology is getting amazing, at least until after I figured out how to learn garage band and that I realized that I plugged the wrong wire into the wrong transmitter device thing.
I think part of the reason I enjoyed garage band so very much (besides that I knew how to use it) was that I got to drag all of my own songs into my podcast. As I had said in earlier posts, I am a class rock aficionado, so when the day came to choose my audio elements for my podcast I was all over it. Ironically, I have yet to perfect my written draft, but I have jumped the gun on my audio. Probably not the best decision, but I know that when I have my creative juices running I should definitely take advantage of them. When it comes to music, they are also flowing or running or ya...
After pressing the down arrow key and gliding through my iTunes library I decided to switch over to Delia's blog and see what was on the agenda for the blog post etc. As we were advised, I listened to the three assigned podcasts. Below is what I thought of each:
"Scared" by John Biewen
This clip automatically drew me in, and then it subsequently freaked me out. Let me explain. He starts describing how love is physical, and then he mentions thighs, and then a baby makes a sound. Kinda freaky! I continue to listen...The music starts, it reminds me of the itsy bitsy spider (which I'm pretty sure it is but can't say for sure). The narrator's voice is interspersed with Harper (the daughter) speaking and as the clip progresses she matures and so does her voice. There's a depressing vibe coming from the music. Although I adore the "itsy bitsy" there is just something off about the key, its deeper than usual. The "itsy bitsy" deeper tone coupled with him calling Harper "girl" and lines such as "in which her body was never for you" freaked me out throughout the podcast. "Sacred" was definitely scary for me, especially when there was a break with silence. I guess you can say that Biewen effectively used audio effects to evoke this "scary" emotion in the audience.
Next....
"In a Bubble (Quiet Kids)" by Hillary Frank
This piece was ironic. These self-proclaimed quiet kids are actually articulate on the tape. Besides for one boy, the rest of the bunch sound like normal teenagers. Their tone and speaking voices don't match what they are saying, which is in fact that they are "shy" kids. As the clip progresses a girl talks about how others might wrongly perceive her quietness as her judging others. Then, with that said "the others" join in on the audio. There is a noisy background filled with children and bells going off to match what the student was speaking about. The background sound paints a precise picture of what the students are describing. Together, both the oral + the sound, equal an easily imagined scene.
Lastly....
"Lost in Translation" by Iswari P. Pandey
After listening to the two prior clips by Americans, I was caught off guard by Iswari. It was hard for me to pay attention to what he was saying, especially because he was not enthusiastic nor did he put any emphasis on certain words or phrases. I felt like I was listening to a tape on loop, with an unfamiliar voice, where his words just blurred together and I couldn't make anything out. Then all of a sudden there would be a burst of music. After that quick burst of classical music, Pandey continues on with his dialogue and then once again a song. This pattern continues with short clips breaking up the monotonous voice. I wasn't a fan (if you can't tell) but I thank Pandey for adding those clips because they kept me on my toes throughout the podcast. I became almost consumed with these little bursts of audio energy. Instead of listening to Iswari, I waited for what strange clip would play in between. Successful usage of audio? You decide.
images retrieved from:
Garage Band: htttp://faculty.umf.maine.edu/%7Eoverallt/melwebquest/guitar.jpg
John Biewen: http://www.civicframe.org/img/board/bigpics/John_Biewen.jpg
Hillary Frank: http://www.ctools.umich.edu
Iswari Pandey: http://www.wrt.syr.edu/newsarchive/pandey/pandeyccr.jpg
Now that you've taken a liking to Garageband does that mean you'll be using it more?
ReplyDeleteMaybe make a few podcasts?
Or do you just see it as a nice skill to have?
I guess what I'm getting at is are you inspired to use Garageband for your own podcast series perhaps?
I also found "Scared" to be creepy.
It was just too awkward, but I have to admit it was endearing.
Hi Alex,
ReplyDeleteI really like hearing your perspective. :) You're really honest about the degree of "userability" these new mediums are demanding of us. I've tried GarageBand a few times and never gotten too far. This class is definitely expanding my knowledge of the application. I'm excited to bring my music into the mix as well. I'm hoping I can learn from the podcasts we listened to for class and make a clean intersection of the story and accompanying sounds—some of our podcasts friends had a few awkward moments. :-/