Author: Flora Braddell
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The History of Spatial Sound.
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The sonic dimensions and acoustics of a space play an incredibly important role in how the listener immerses themselves and perceives the work in which they’re listening to. Throughout the past 70 years, the design of spatial sound has evolved massively, from the development of early stereo systems to fully immersive audio formats like binaural recording and…
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Beat Frequencies.
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In Milo’s lecture last week, he briefly mentioned and explained beat frequencies, using two tuning forks to demonstrate. Beat frequencies were something I had heard through music before but had never been aware of what was actually occurring and why. The fluctuation in sound that occurs is something I find intriguing and so wanted to…
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Maya Deren.
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Maya Deren ( 1917–1961) was a Ukrainian born, American experimental filmmaker and artist, playing a crucial role in the American avant-garde period of the 40s and 50s. Known for her rather surreal work, she explored the subconscious and poetic potential of film, something few filmmakers were doing at the time, especially known women. Although her…
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Collision Synth.
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Collision is one of Ableton’s synthesisers that uses physical modelling technology to simulate how objects (real or imagined) vibrate and resonate when struck. Collision uses mathematical simulations of real-world acoustic behaviour to replicates the characteristics of an instrument. Collision is primarily known for simulating mallet percussion instruments like a vibraphone or marimba, however it also allows…
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Susan Hiller – The Last Silent Movie.
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(Artist case study) “An old man confronts us with some truths about language. The strangeness of his voice merges with the buzzing and humming artefacts of an archaic recording mechanism. A young girl repeats words she is trying to memorize in what sounds like French. Several men exuberantly chant fragments of a creation myth. An…
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The therapeutic use of Sound and Music.
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(Essay Research) In recent years music therapy has emerged as an incredibly useful tool in relation to cognitive rehabilitation, particularly for individuals with neurological conditions or injuries, like a stroke. The effectiveness of the therapy all lies in the brain’s neuroplasticity- the brain’s ability to adapt its structure and function in response to experiences throughout life. As…
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Sonic memories within Alzheimer’s patients.
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(Essay Research) Alzheimer’s is a disease that is caused by a build up of proteins that tangle in the brain causing brain cells to die over time and eventually shrink the brain. As it progresses, Alzheimer’s causes a multitude of problems that affect the brain and nervous system. Some of these include; memory loss, cognitive…
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Indigeneity Lecture.
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I found the lecture of Indigeneity incredibly interesting, I have always been attracted to learning about indigenous cultures all over the world, and looking at it from a sonic point of view was something I hadn’t really explored before. Understanding the importance of the relationship between the music and the land around them that so…
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Afro-Sonics.
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Afro-Sonics is a term that refers to the diverse range of musical and sound practices, traditions, and auditory cultures deep rooted in African and Afro-diasporic lives and experiences. It encompasses many traditional aspects of African music whilst also the more contemporary aspects like Hip Hop or Afro-futurism. Prior to the lecture I was aware of multiple…
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Synthesis.
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(This blog post consists of notes taken from my synthesis lecture, as prior to this class I was only aware of small aspects of synthesis, and so I thought it was best to create a blog post documenting the key parts.) Synthesis is the process of creating sound electronically, synthesisers generate sound waves using electrical…