Space

1. Space is a continuous area that expands and is unoccupied so that other mediums may travel through it. Space is boundless, directionless, and horizon-less.

2. Sound and Space go hand in hand since sound uses space as a medium to travel through. “Sound is inherently spatial because the process of audition attaches a spatial narrative to each sound; from a vibration-centered stand point, sound does not exist without its propagation in space.” Inherently spatial meaning that sound needs space to exist.

Example: If a tree falls in the forest but nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Yes, since there is space around the tree then the sound can travel, and probably scare some animals in close proximity.

3. One of the questions proposed in the chapter is how sound mediates human perceptions and understandings of physical space. All humans have binaural hearing which allows us to determine the direction of which sounds are coming from. Space allows us to do that. Our ears can play tricks on us because of the acoustic space that we are in.

4. Space plays a major role in the virtual world. In audio space is synthetically created to make the recording sound more natural. Musically, Echo makes things sound bigger. Development of reverb, delay, and echo chambers all are tools used to add spice to a sound’s production. Example: today’s pop songs are full of reverb to make it seem like a live concert or just make it more comfortable to listen to instead of having the singers voice right in your head.

5. Ecology refers to the environment in the natural world as a space of relations--this notion of acoustic ecology creates soundscapes that we encounter (circulate around us) in our everyday lives. Example: The Space chapter in Keywords of Sound talks about Kenyan communities using drums for different ceremonies.

6. We proposed a couple of questions to the class, asking them what they thought of when they heard the word space. The replies varied from images of outer space, to space in between drum hits in a song, and even space as like the distance between individuals. Similarly, we discussed sounds role in space. Stating that sound would have no place to travel if there wasn’t a medium, such as space, to travel though. Therefore, sound without space would be sedentary.