Barbosa, Isabel_Interview with Steven Agro

This piece was challenging to edit for a few reasons.  There were a few moments in which an “uhm” or “like” was embedded deeply into the speech, which caused a bit of a struggle when trying to remove it.  This lead to a few jumps in pitch throughout the piece: something I am not entirely sure how to edit out at this point.  Another difficulty I ran into was based on the order in which I proposed the questions.  Initially, there were a few out of place responses, which I then had to rearrange and insert accordingly.  Though, at the start, I had been concern about the laboriousness  of this task, it did turn out to be easier than I anticipated.  What I also found to be relatively simple was removing my voice from the piece.  There was only one or two points where my voice overlapped with Steve’s, so I did not have a struggle to remove it and maintain the quality of the piece.

I struggled with inserting my room tone and natural noise, which, I believe hindered the piece.  It is something I would like to adjust before the final project.  At the moment, the piece feels rather empty during his speech, as there are no other layers playing at that times.

Next time I lead an interview, I will organize my questions in a more methodical manner, so as to simplify the editing process.  I will also make sure to consistently ask double-barreled questions, as I ran into one or two instances in which I had neglected to.  I will also record environmental and natural noise that alines more appropriately with the piece.

Isabel Marie Barbosa

Misfire by Sarah Varney and Paul Frey

0:01      Voice, violin

0:22      Voice, drums like heart beat

0:39       Crunch, can opens, pouring beverage

0:44       Feet on gravel

0:53       Transitions into maraca

0:51        Thunder

0:55        Violin

0:56        Panting

1:07        Waves

1:25         Voice

1:30         Commercial song with full band

1:40         Voice, drums heart beat

1:58         Violin

2:09         Static

2:24         Wind chime like instruments transitioning into something reminiscent of the music in Alfred Hitchcock’s films

2:32         Violin, water drops

2:44         Slurp

2:45         Crunch, can opens, pouring beverage

2:49         Gravel

2:53         Violin

3:02         Panting

3:07         Rain wind

3:25          Slurp, burp, violin

3:48         Voice

3:55         Voice, heart beat drum, violin, commercial

4:12          Silence

I found this podcast very interesting.  It “is an experimental sound piece that blends 1940s Dr. Pepper radio ads, original violin music, and sounds of thirst and thirst-quenching.”  The transitions were designed with purpose: though uncommon in most musical pieces, many were choppy or sudden.  I believe that this decision provided the piece with more interest, as it allowed the listener to focus on each set of sounds, rather than hearing them as a singular piece.  The sounds worked together beautifully to tell the intended story.  The Dr. Pepper radio ads combined with the opening of the cans, pouring of the beverage, slurping, and burping provide an ideal image.  They allow the listener to see an individual experiencing the refreshment of a cold soda.  Beyond that, the sounds of the panting and feet running on gravel, can cause the listener to sympathize with the individual that the piece has suggested; an individual who, one can assume by that noise, has been exerting him or herself and is exhausted.  Therefore, the soda appears even more appealing and deserved.  There are several other ways to interpret the piece, but, based on the design of the sound clips, that was what I felt was the purpose for the listener to grasp.

Isabel Barbosa