Listening Experience

Rachel Acrich
MUSIC 3
Mike Crain
9/9/10
Listening Experience 0. 1. I chose to sit in a train station so I chose the sound of the wheels of the train. The sound of the wheels of the trains running over the tracks is a very steady rhythm. It is constant and calming in its certainty. After sitting for a while, it is a sound that fades into the background if I do not focus on it. This is surprising because it is such a loud, dominant sound. 0. 2. My sound is heard fairly constantly during the day because of the trains always arriving and departing. It grows louder as the trains approach the station and the rhythm slows to a stop. As one train stops, another one is always about to leave. The engine roars to life and the sound of the wheels on the tracks crescendos as the train picks up speed. The sound slowly fades as the train exits the station. 0. 3. I have heard my sound almost constantly since I have arrived. There are short pauses in between arrivals and departures, but they never last long. The sound follows the pattern of the train schedules and depends on delays and whether or not there is more than one train at a time in the station. 0. 4. I believe that the sound definitely complements the environment. A train station would not be the same without the steady rumble of the wheels running over the tracks and the loud whistle piercing the atmosphere. It provides a constant background noise that brings everything together. 0. 5. My sound most directly identifies the movement of the train and the train itself. It indirectly identifies the sense of travel and the desperate need the Americans have to “get away from here.” The train represents a way to do that and the sound of the wheels echoing off the marble tiles and through the station announces that the train is arriving and near. 0. 6. The train itself symbolized America’s advances in transportation and technology. It enabled our citizens to traverse across our entire country with ease. Air travel has since become much more popular, but travel by train is such a traditional form of transportation. 0. 7. Anyone can encounter my sound at the thousands of railroad crossings across the country. While not identical to the train station, they are very closely related. The station is much more enclosed than a railroad crossing so my sound is amplified by a great amount. 0. 8. This sound reminds me of all my travels with my family when I was younger. It makes me think of other countries and beautiful country sides. The sight of quaint little towns and green fields rushing by the window is something that must be experienced to gain understanding. 0. 9. My sound has not changed since I have been here. It is a very constant, never-changing sound that becomes a defining part of the environment. It is something that can be relied on and expected. 0. 10. I believe that my sound brings together the whole atmosphere of the train station. What would a train station be without trains? I think that this activity was very insightful for me and gave me a chance to relax and breathe and actually listen to what was going on around me. Life is so rushed, taking time to listen is very important.