Minute of Listening

Minute of Listening is a project initiated by Sound and Music. Everyday a group of school children closes their eyes and listens to one minute of sound/music, and afterward there are some questions to be answered about what they just heard. 

While Jamie Oliver’s food education (“what vegetable is this?”) is a bit more urgent for the health of many school kids, it would be great plan to also incorporate sound and listening education (“what sound is this?”) into the standard curriculum at primary schools, thus making them aware of the sounds around us and their effect on our ‘sound health’. I also think it is very healthy for children to just sit, relax and focus for a minute every morning. 

Via Mark IJzerman

Washful Thinking

In 1993 Ward Weis made an auditory city map of Antwerp, as it was cultural capital of Europe back then. Everyday sounds are his main inspiration, and now he focuses on the sound of washing machines. On his website you can send in your on recording, as well as listen to the washing machines recorded by others.

Opposite to other household electronics (who would want to listen to a vacuum cleaner for an hour?), the common sound of a washing machine isn’t annoying at all. Listening to the mix of various washing machines on the website, uploaded by users from all around Europe, is quite relaxing. 

Good advice from mr. Weis for listening: “it is recommended to listen it in front of your own washing machine”. Just so you know. 

Photo by Mastrobiggo

Urban Remix

Urban Remix is another ‘soundmap’ project like we have seen before. There is more to this project than just recording and uploading audio though. As the name suggests, you are able to remix the sounds you, or any other participant previously uploaded to the Urban Remix website, by drawing paths on a map. 

The project, created by Jason Freeman, Michael Nitsche, and Carl Disalvo (all professors at the Georgia institute of Technology, is interesting but not unique (apart from the remixing feature maybe). That said, it is always good to raise awareness of sound in the environments we live in. This video gives a good impression of the Urban Remix project: 

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E13 000625

Sonic weapons are not just a thing of science fiction stories, they actually have been, and to some extend still are being tested and used by military and police forces. Being particularly careful of my ears, I hope I will never have to experience such a thing. 

That said, a good dose of sub (while wearing ear plugs) can be quite pleasing, and that seems to be what E13 000625 by Alberto Tadiello can provide. This piece of sound art, inspired by the before mentioned sonic weapons, comes on when visitors approach it and hits them in the stomach, emitting low frequency sounds. 

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Sound Monolith

It is always interesting to see a physical visual representation of sound as it shows us the waves around us we cannot normally see. Sound Monolith by Andrew Roberts is a nice example of this, using water as a medium to show us its resonant patterns.

Sewing Machine Orchestra

Eight old Singer sewing machines in a row are the musicians of the Sewing Machine Orchestra made by one of the two men behind La Chambre des Machines, Martin Messier. The sounds we hear are all created by the sewing machines. Apart from the sound this installation makes, the image of these classic machines put in a clean, modern environment is wonderful, and triggers the viewers memory and imagination:

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Bach on an Enormous Wooden Xylophone

OK, I normally don’t post any advertisements on Everyday Listening, nor do I publish two posts on one day, but it’s time for an exception. Check out this huge wooden xylophone playing a part of Bach’s Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben in the middle of the forest. 

The video is made by Japanese mobile operator NTT Docomo to promote their Touch Wood phone. This video sure grabs the attention. 

Stadsmuziek

If you can’t play the piano, you can build a machine that will play it for you. Maybe that’s what Akko Goldenbeld was thinking when he created Stadsmuziek. The installation resembles the system of an old hand-operated street organ, but now the resulting music is certainly a bit more ‘experimental’. 

I like the idea, and the fact that the system isn’t perfect. The screeching sound of the turning wheels complements the sound of the piano nicely. If only it could be played with a bit more expression..

Two Years of Everyday Listening

It’s already been two years since the first post on Everyday Listening today! Some months have been more active then others, as at times other projects take away my attention, but Everyday Listening is still going strong!

Here’s a selection of three of my favorite posts of the last year: 

Waves by Daniel Palacios - A great looking and sounding installation.

Cinématique - Interaction between video and contemporary dance.

Five Sound Questions to Damian Steward - A great post in the Five Sound Questions series (which is now in hibernation mode).

Journal de Nîmes N°7

Last thursday the latest edition of Journal de Nîmes has been released. As usual I have been responsible for a music-related article for this quarterly journal of denim inspired boutique Tenue de Nîmes at the Elandsgracht in Amsterdam. Visit the store to see for yourself or read it online by clicking on the above image. 

For this North American issue I wrote about Bad Religion and their role in the development of Californian punk rock, and some recommendations for music from the US: Eskmo, Bad Religion, Midlake and A Hawk and a Hecksaw.