Acoustic Spatial Dimensions of Sound - Essay Example

?Sound Artist Introduction Design, arrangement ant manipulation of the space’s physical properties is called “mother of arts” architecture. Architecture is different from other forms of arts, for the daily movement it generates spaces. Moreover, it attracts the artistic tastes, when it is more than merely useful. People can see, feel, and hear the artistic messages in structures, which is a combination of materials, shapes and colors. The architects communicate their observations through spatial words; these words are embedded with symbolic language mirroring culture. This process is just like writing a poem1. Architects completely keep in mind the visual dimensions of a structure for communicating the historical, emotional, artistic and social background of the space. However, they neglect, usually, the acoustic dimensions. To feel space through listening has never been identified as native ability of humans. However, dolphins and bats are classified in this category. Nonetheless, no specific qualities are required to sense spatial qualities. The hardwired segment of human beings is rudimentary spatial ability and it is a genetic part of human body. For instance, the utilization of headphones for listening music has its own affect; however, if the headphones are removed after listening music then walking in the room makes a different impact; the sounds of walking are clearer now. Even if a person walk blind fold in his/her room he/she would be able to recognize paths through its resonances2. Maryanne Amacher These are called acoustic spatial dimensions of sound. Several composers utilized this feature in their compositions; however, the work of Maryanne Amacher is unforgettable and commendable. She was born in Kane Pennsylvania. Her father was a Swiss freight train worker while her mother was a nurse. She was the only child in the family. At very early age, she learned to play piano. She graduated in computer and acoustics science. From the beginning of her musical and composition career, she was interested in different variations of sound. In this respect, she implemented different kind of microphones and she got the help of many loudspeakers to create her so-called airborne sound. She experimented her techniques at all levels and achieved great success3. Her famous catalogue “Sound Character” is a masterpiece. The catalogue has seven compositions. 1."Head Rhythm 1" and "Plaything 2" 2. Tower 3. Synaptic Island (excerpt "VM2 from the Levi-Montalcini Variations") 4. Synaptic Island (excerpt "Tower Meta1s", "Feed2", "Muse Orchestra 1") 5. Dense Boogie 1 6. Choral 1 The analysis of Maryanne Amacher’s Compositions The American composer and installation performer Maryanne Amacher had completely a different method. She composed CD Sound Character to vibrate the hidden ear “Third Ear”. Her theory was very different from all of his contemporary artists. The CD Sound Character has seven tracks and many of them are related to ‘third-ear music’. The music resounds in the head and it seems different from the music that originates through loudspeakers. In addition, the CD is comprised of atmospheric sound installations, multi-channel re-mastered excerpts. These re-mastered excerpts originate sound, which is not only hears but also feels in the whole body and the room becomes speaker itself. However, to compose for the body is a unique issue. It needs fresh models of aural analysis and treatment because the listening point is shifted from the ears to the tissues of the body, which provokes memories, psychic and physical association and intertwine of information. Can the body is able to work out a plan for sound stage? Can these worked out plans free different bodies and association among spaces and bodies? The concept of embodied listening and disrupt traditional models of describing and hearing sound are similar to Donna Haraway’s (1991) ‘embodied objectivity’4. The tracks 3, 4, and 7, which she started to originate in 1980 are multi-room, multi-channel large-scale pieces and these tracks adhere architecturally staged visual sets with music. In addition, these tracks have visual and aural cues, which provides clues regarding legends that can be recognized through walking and moving in surroundings attached to the rooms. Thus, ‘structure borne’ sounds develop they have attachment to architectural spaces and lead to ‘airborne’ sounds. Specifically, for the tracks 3, 4, and 7 particular surroundings and architecture are required because they are two-channel re-mastered excerpts of Amacher’s installations. According to Amacher, her compositions are rooted in experiential, scientific, and observational approaches that have the quality to link the sounds with bodies (Amacher, 1999). Her other track on the CD’s such as Head Rhythm 1 and Plaything 2, Dense Boogie, Tower, Choral and Synaptic Iceland are a bit dissimilar. Actually, they are attached to her main theory of space and sounds as the name of the track Head Rhythm 1 and Plaything 2 shows hearing from the ears and feeling in the head and body. Dense Boogie and Choral are also different track but these tracks are associated to Maryanne Amacher’s old theory. However, Maryanne Amacher thinks that Choral is not according to her standards. They are just straightforward and repetitive sounds. These are truly repetitive tones but they have their own effects. Dense Boogie has also the quality to provoke the third ear. The track is associated to City Links series. Maryanne Amacher, distance places were used to broadcast City Link series, developed city Link in 19675. The Amacher’s installation atmosphere is different; she utilized architectural space and surroundings to produce greater effect of sounds. People feel that the building is vibrating and a series of music is coming out from their bodies; over and above, they have developed the third ear. Amacher’s compositions have the quality to bind the people with space through sound. According to Ouzounian, her compositions make us feel that space is developing within our bodies. Moreover, he claims that she implements altering qualities of sounds, which takes to body to another land and suddenly we feel that our souls have parted the body and clashing with the sounds6. Carla Scaletti Carla Scaletti is a composer and computer scientist. She has researched music extensively. Her research has published in numerous Computer Music Journals and she commented in OOPSLA and SPIE conferences about her work. She is also the founder and chair of SIGSound. The SIGSound is sound computation group and it is also attached to ACM (Association of Computing Machinery), she has achieved doctorate degree in music composition and she has obtained masters of computer science. She has been working as symphony harpist. She has composed several pieces of music for acoustic instruments. Carla Scaletti and Marianna Amacher have some similar background and qualities. Both believe in acoustic music, both believe in the relation of computer and music. However, Carla Scaletti has a different mindset for music. She utilizes acoustic signals as symbolic music and by the manipulation of symbolic translates back into sound. Thus, encoding of acoustic signals is not necessary just need to synthesize streams of numbers to abstract algorithms. As during earthquake, the crust of earth can be measured through the stream of numbers. The representation of abstract symbols leads to opening new structures, which have never existed before. She has developed Kyma language. Kyma language is the combination of algorithm patterns and musical patterns. This is a computer music language. It is like Herbert Brun’s elegant and algebraic SAWDUST language, Salvatore Martirano’s SalMar language, which is instrument for real time compositions. The world of computer gaming, music of movies and animation has transformed. A live action film, a theme park ride, computer-generated animation a novel, a painting, and a computer game have become now artwork. The language of music is changed; it is not simple rather it has become more complex, symbolic and algorithm related. Several movies took the advantage of Kyma language such as Clone War, and The Acceptance. The famous composer A.R. Rahman has used Kyma in Danny Boyle’s new film 127 hours. The music language is being used in every field of music, computation, movies, and in every experimental effort regarding sound and music. PCI card are also being designed for Kyma sound design atmosphere7. Conclusion Computer music language is the core field of Carla Scaletti while Marianna Amacher worked for spatial sounds, third ear and architectural impact on music. Though their field is similar, yet its dimensions are dissimilar. It is possible that they can meet at shorter or longer distance in time. They can be combined to produce a new a fresh approach to acquire more food for thinking. Their dissimilarities are not very significant instead; the most important thing is their work, its association and technological and architectural utilization of sounds. Both of these sounds artists are commendable they have developed a new approach for future generation. Moreover, Carla Scaletti has been very innovative. She became the source of creating a new language Kyma and Kyma has become the life of every music, movie, and animation. The language has great potential for future growth. In addition, Marianna Amacher though has left the world, yet her memories are with us with her compositions. References Kozinn, Allan. "Maryanne Amacher, Avant-Garde Composer, Dies at 71 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Last modified October 28, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/arts/music/28amacher.html?_r=0. Blesser, Barry, and Linda-Ruth Salter. "Introduction to Aural Architecture." Barry Blesser: Home Page. Last modified 2007. http://www.blesser.net/downloads/Chapter1.pdf. Haraway, Donna Jeanne. 1991. Simians, cyborgs, and women: the reinvention of nature. New York: Routledge. Symbolic Sound. "Symbolic Sound Kyma: Products KymaFilms." Symbolic Sound Corporation. Last modified November 30, 2010. http://www.symbolicsound.com/cgi-bin/bin/view/Products/KymaFilms. Amacher, Maryanne. "The Wire - Maryanne Amacher: Expressway To Your Skull." The Wire - Adventures In Music And Sound. Last modified October, 2009. http://thewire.co.uk/in-writing/interviews/p=14992.Ouzounian, Gascia. 2006. "Embodied sound: Aural architectures and the body".Contemporary Music Review. 25 (1): 69-79. Read More

 

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