ah, well - I put one of those smiley faces after that comment. It was tongu=
e in cheek ! I have no particular approach - once a walk / experience is u=
nderway then its also up to the participants as to how it goes & what they =
want to do - talk, not talk etc. That said, I think the noisiest folks are=
usually 'sound artists' anyway :) (note the smiley face again)
I experience quiet almost every day - I don't live in the countryside but i=
n a quiet street on the outskirts. There are often times of the day where q=
uietude is the perceived audible level, but it tends to not be durational.
I also find most quiet times when out very early (2-4am) listening & especi=
ally near but not next to water. If you're far enough away to not hear the =
tide or wildlife on the water but close enough to experience the acoustic s=
oftening that water can apply, this is where a different sensation of quiet=
can arrive.
--- In "soundings23" <tony.whitehead2332@=
...> wrote:
>
> I never ask that people don't converse on sound walks I've organised (for=
both adults and children) - i like people to be able to comminicate what t=
hey are hearing - I view it as a shared exploration and exchange of perspec=
tives. My experience is that there are times when people chat, and times wh=
en they listen, simple as that really. But clearly there's more than one wa=
y to do a sound walk
>
> And silence is a contested word as the views here indicate. Me - I person=
ally agree with you and think its application is wrong, but there are other=
views.
>
> Originally however I was actually more interested experiences of "quiet" =
- an experience that like you I enjoy as well.
>
> all the best
>
> Tony
>
> --- In "Jez" <tempjez@> wrote:
> >
> > well, apart from the 'telling' bit about the fact that the conversation=
had to fall away in the first place on a 'sound walk' :)
> >
> > the whole 'silence' question really comes down to the fact that it isn'=
t so much contested as simply wrong & the use of it aids the process of ign=
oring whats there. If quiet places / times are referred to as 'silent' then=
there is (has been) a gradual erosion of one part of the awareness of list=
ening.
> >
> > This is where 'quietude' comes in - its the right term imo as it descri=
bes both places & times where available sound ebbs away & the atmosphere be=
comes inhabited with a sense of quiet & stillness.
> >
> > I know lots of folks on here are more interested in the scientific appr=
oach to sound & on that level there is never silence of course as there are=
ultra & infra sound signals along with the small sounds we can hear.
> >
> > as for myself, I just enjoy these times, these places & the sense of be=
ing enveloped in quietude.
> >
> > --- In "soundings23" <tony.whitehead2=
332@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Clearly "silence" is a contested word, but personally I don't have an=
y issue with not attributing it to situations that might better be describe=
d as quiet.
> > >
> > > The differing experiences of "quiet" are however very interesting.
> > >
> > > Years ago, I was standing with a group of people at night (composers/=
sound artists on a course as it happened) by the River Dart here in Devon. =
We were on a sound walk and it was a particularly still August evening. Con=
versation fell away and we became still. As we did so I felt a "rushing in"=
- an almost physical pressure. It was quite startling, but I've experience=
d it a number of times since when I've purposefully put myself in similar s=
ituations. Its the sort of experience that is personal and no recording tec=
hnology could replicate - but I recognise it in experiences related in this=
thread.
> > >
> > > I don't wish to overanalyse, but I'd be intrigued in a wider sharing =
of experiences of such quiet places to see if there's any commonality, or i=
f our experience's differ widely.
> > >
> > > --- In "Jez" <tempjez@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > quickly:
> > > >
> > > > these 'silences' aren't silent. What tends to happen is the extreme=
quietness combined with the listeners attempts to perceive it lead to a si=
tuation where:
> > > >
> > > > 1) on a psychological level, one accepts the definition of silence=
> > > > 2) on a physical level, the ears attempt to adjust to the surroundi=
ngs & to 1)
> > > >
> > > > the combination means that 'silence' is the surface perception. The=
re are all kinds of sounds present, even in the disorienting stillness of t=
he most quiet places on earth (such as deep caves or deserts) but, as is th=
e way of us humans, it is easier for us to apply filters to our perception =
of what is there.
> > > >
> > > > micro / macro listening to these places or recordings of them revea=
ls a wealth of sound, all be it on a sometimes very subtle level.
> > > >
> > > > it's amazing to perceive stillness & amazing to hear whats there at=
those times.
> > > >
> > > > --- In 404 <404@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks for this, Raimund. Fascinating stuff!
> > > > >
> > > > > On 05 Jun 2012, at 19:39, Raimund wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > <But every now and then there's moments where the wind lies dow=
n and the
> > > > > > flies stay away and it's silent. Not quiet. But silent. I'm sur=
e that anyone who's ever driven into the Australian outback or desert know =
what I'm talking about. I can highly recommend it>
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Peter,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I think I know what you are talking about. I experienced that s=
tunning silence several times shortly after sunset while camping in the Son=
oran Desert (Arizona).
> > > > > >
> > > > > > There is a simple explanation for that kind of silence: A stron=
g temperature gradient in the air above the ground creates a sonic shadow r=
egion for each sound source (the ground is still hot, but the air is gettin=
g cooler at night). See http://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/Demos/refract/refra=
ct.html. So, I think there is still some noise around, but it just cannot b=
e heard due to these refraction effects.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Regards,
> > > > > > Raimund
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
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