For our piece we concentrated on the theme of Domestic Violence. A major component of the piece is its transitions from the soft, innocent and pure, into something darker and conflicted. We wanted to focus on some common thoughts that we associate with domestic violence and abuse- from chaos, silence, and conflict. Also, we wanted to stay away from using tracks with lyrics. Though you can make out Florence + the Machine’s Florence Welch’s voice towards the end of the track, her cry becomes distorted and fades into the dial tone and eventually into silence. The silence and lack of vocals in the piece add to the theme of silence in the piece.
The incorporation of common telephone sounds into the music adds another layer of story telling in the piece. The transition of the types and genres of music is aided by the added sound effects. The addition of these familiar sounds (dial tone, busy signal, and no connection tone,) add a visual component to the story telling. While these sounds are easily identifiable, they add to the overall mood of the piece, adding an ominous layer to it.
We hope you enjoy our piece and can see our vision for it.
Joeleen Moy, Erika Paulson, Christine Zhou
Works Cited:
Florence + The Machine. “Leave My Body.” Ceremonials. Abbey Road Recording, 2011. MP3
Schubert, Franz. “Serenade D 957.” ARTSomerville. Jamendo. 2008. MP3.
Two Steps From Hell. “Symbols in the Sand.” Jamendo. 2001. MP3.
VoG. “VOLVOX GLOBATOR.” Jamendo. 2002. MP3.
I can definitely hear your vision in your sound sculpture. The theme of domestic violence fits in perfectly with what you made. The dial tones and other ominous sounds give off an atmosphere where the person is in much distress. You can tell that she is going through a struggle that she is unable to seek help for. She is stuck in her dilemma with little chance of escaping it. Very good job!
I think you guys did a great job on picking domestic violence for your topic. Domestic violence certainly entails a lot of transformation in love, life, and overall well-being, and I think you conveyed that to the audience. Your goals of reaching chaos, silence and conflict were achieved; I think it was appropriate to keep the sound sculpture without lyrics, and it worked well. My favorite part was the telephone noises you incorporated – what a haunting yet harmless noise depending on where you are. You guys did a great job of telling a story of transformation, especially in giving the listener a more visual experience.
The theme of domestic violence is a really interesting one because many different sounds can form it since everyone’s experience or opinion on it is different. The telephone sounds made me think more about this theme and I automatically thought of the victims of domestic violence. The annoying beep reminded me of victims constantly waiting to be freed of their attacker and how, to them, the violence and pain would never end. The silence in the piece also reminded me of this, because many victims keep silent about their situation in fear of their attacker. The entire piece made me shiver in fear and I thought that was what made your sculpture emotional and personal. Great job on a moving piece!