And there's me getting all touchy ... perhaps i need to go and find a quiet=
place and sit there for a while (I actually think I probably do today!) :)=
Tony
--- In "Jez" <> wrote:
>
> ah, well - I put one of those smiley faces after that comment. It was ton=
gue in cheek ! I have no particular approach - once a walk / experience is=
underway then its also up to the participants as to how it goes & what the=
y want to do - talk, not talk etc. That said, I think the noisiest folks a=
re usually 'sound artists' anyway :) (note the smiley face again)
>
> I experience quiet almost every day - I don't live in the countryside but=
in a quiet street on the outskirts. There are often times of the day where=
quietude 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 & espe=
cially near but not next to water. If you're far enough away to not hear th=
e tide or wildlife on the water but close enough to experience the acoustic=
softening that water can apply, this is where a different sensation of qui=
et can arrive.
>
> --- In "soundings23" <tony.whitehead233=
2@> wrote:
> >
> > I never ask that people don't converse on sound walks I've organised (f=
or both adults and children) - i like people to be able to comminicate what=
they are hearing - I view it as a shared exploration and exchange of persp=
ectives. My experience is that there are times when people chat, and times =
when they listen, simple as that really. But clearly there's more than one =
way to do a sound walk
> >
> > And silence is a contested word as the views here indicate. Me - I pers=
onally agree with you and think its application is wrong, but there are oth=
er 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 conversati=
on had to fall away in the first place on a 'sound walk' :)
> > >
> > > the whole 'silence' question really comes down to the fact that it is=
n't so much contested as simply wrong & the use of it aids the process of i=
gnoring whats there. If quiet places / times are referred to as 'silent' th=
en there is (has been) a gradual erosion of one part of the awareness of li=
stening.
> > >
> > > This is where 'quietude' comes in - its the right term imo as it desc=
ribes both places & times where available sound ebbs away & the atmosphere =
becomes inhabited with a sense of quiet & stillness.
> > >
> > > I know lots of folks on here are more interested in the scientific ap=
proach to sound & on that level there is never silence of course as there a=
re 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 =
being enveloped in quietude.
> > >
> > > --- In "soundings23" <tony.whitehea=
d2332@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Clearly "silence" is a contested word, but personally I don't have =
any issue with not attributing it to situations that might better be descri=
bed as quiet.
> > > >
> > > > The differing experiences of "quiet" are however very interesting.=
> > > >
> > > > Years ago, I was standing with a group of people at night (composer=
s/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. C=
onversation fell away and we became still. As we did so I felt a "rushing i=
n" - an almost physical pressure. It was quite startling, but I've experien=
ced it a number of times since when I've purposefully put myself in similar=
situations. Its the sort of experience that is personal and no recording t=
echnology could replicate - but I recognise it in experiences related in th=
is thread.
> > > >
> > > > I don't wish to overanalyse, but I'd be intrigued in a wider sharin=
g of experiences of such quiet places to see if there's any commonality, or=
if our experience's differ widely.
> > > >
> > > > --- In "Jez" <tempjez@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > quickly:
> > > > >
> > > > > these 'silences' aren't silent. What tends to happen is the extre=
me quietness combined with the listeners attempts to perceive it lead to a =
situation where:
> > > > >
> > > > > 1) on a psychological level, one accepts the definition of silenc=
e
> > > > > 2) on a physical level, the ears attempt to adjust to the surroun=
dings & to 1)
> > > > >
> > > > > the combination means that 'silence' is the surface perception. T=
here are all kinds of sounds present, even in the disorienting stillness of=
the most quiet places on earth (such as deep caves or deserts) but, as is =
the way of us humans, it is easier for us to apply filters to our perceptio=
n of what is there.
> > > > >
> > > > > micro / macro listening to these places or recordings of them rev=
eals 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 d=
own and the
> > > > > > > flies stay away and it's silent. Not quiet. But silent. I'm s=
ure that anyone who's ever driven into the Australian outback or desert kno=
w what I'm talking about. I can highly recommend it>
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Peter,
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I think I know what you are talking about. I experienced that=
stunning silence several times shortly after sunset while camping in the S=
onoran Desert (Arizona).
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > There is a simple explanation for that kind of silence: A str=
ong temperature gradient in the air above the ground creates a sonic shadow=
region for each sound source (the ground is still hot, but the air is gett=
ing cooler at night). See http://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/Demos/refract/ref=
ract.html. So, I think there is still some noise around, but it just cannot=
be heard due to these refraction effects.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Regards,
> > > > > > > Raimund
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
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