Cole’s Capstone Proposal (Revisited)
DCC Capstone Proposal
Name — Cole Berg
Title — 1÷0
Project thesis /main idea
My goal for this project is to explore a concept by implementing some sort of sound installation or sound exhibition. My concept will redefine a soundscape as well as add meaning to what an audience already interprets within environmental context.
Specifically, I want to create my installation around the concept of insomnia or sleep deprivation. I want to numb every chill in the audience’s body.
Format project will take
My project will most likely be some type of sound installation as I am most interested in the context of sounds and noise. If I find that there are relevant additions I can make to improve the experience, I may also add graphics to the exhibition. Location of the sound sources will be key, as will be the format of the MIDI (i.e. Loops of sounds, amount of sound clips, duration)
Description of project:
- how are you doing / making your project
- why are you choosing this format
I plan on initially spending time forming the concept that my project will be based on. This will likely require recording sounds from certain environments and spaces, as well as working within the digital sound tools such as Audacity or Garageband. I intend to utilize my skills within the audio discipline of digital media in this project, as I have the most interest in this aspect. However, like all creative works, there will probably be moments where I want to slightly alter my direction, whether that means incorporating more visuals or even exploring combinations of audio output systems.
I think that a sound installation is just the best way for me to express what I mean to express. It is my preferred medium of creative expression. I am most interested in a project that builds a concept around soundscapes and the context of music or noise. Sound installations such as those done by artists like Janet Cardiff model the direction I want to start heading in for the beginning stages of my project. I would like to create my own creative version of something in which the digital presence of a sound somehow augments the naturally occurring sounds to build on a different and hopefully groundbreaking concept.
Skills & tools:
- what skills and tools do you need to accomplish this?
- do you already have these skills/tools, or will you need to acquire them?
I will need strong skills in audio editing software such as the aforementioned Audacity or Garageband. Any type of software that allows me to explore the interesting digital sounds of performance may also be used in this project. *[For example, I may like to incorporate the mixing sounds within apps developed by DJ Spooky. His apps allow for a user-friendly interaction with digital sounds, which will facilitate the creative process when I try to put together the audio files that will eventually become the soundtrack to my sound installation.] I will also need good equipment to test my project out on such as competent speakers, headphones, and other signal receivers. A recording device for on-the-go quality recording will also be a potential necessity if I decide to capture the natural noises of foreign environments or esoteric experiences.
I plan on getting more practice with Audacity and possibly Garageband over the winter leading up to the Spring semester. This way, I will be familiar with the interfaces and capable of working in depth with my samples and overarching concept. I know the DCC laptops have Garageband in case I decide to use that application for the majority of my audio works, but I may end up wanting to use it as my primary application, which may call for my having to download it to my own laptop. (I have recently purchased the app)
*not concrete within plan for the project
Anything else you think might be relevant to your project
I think the most difficult part of this project is going to be deciding on the concept that my project portrays. I tend to be picky when it comes to my artistic decision-making, and I hope that as I get closer to fully understanding all stages of my capstone, I will be able to form a concrete theme for the sound installation.
If I find that I need to find more to do to add to the project’s quality and depth, I may be able to break up the installation into pieces, creating a shift in themes (as per the dynamics within my intended concept). For example, in the Who’s Quadrophenia, there are four parts and four themes that circulate throughout the work. In Pink Floyd’s The Wall, there is also the parity within the concept of a wall that divides two halves. My concept may become a story, or it may expand upon my own personal experiences and emotions. **[I also like to apply the spontaneous thought patterns of the human mind through a stream of consciousness style.] My hope is that this sort of creative writing style will also show within the editing, layering, mixing, and recording of my sounds. This proposal has direction, but I intend to also leave space for thought and creative expansion.
I will very likely need solid advising and critique along the way. As I break down my project into parts and try to bring it all together, I am afraid I will have trouble transitioning between and connecting ideas. Personally, I find that my creative works can have strong content, but the content may not be ordered logically or it may be scattered, clearly lacking strong transitions and connections within the many themes.
On a concluding note, I am obviously most interested in the audio experiences of the human mind. I want to explore the perceptions of auditory senses and question what it means to have sounds in specific space and time. The context of sound interests me most, and the psychological and emotional aspects of musical and sonic perception are the main core of my project.
**extremely important in my new, focused version of the project