9/23/09 Cabe Lindsay's Soundscapes Project 01

Shredhead

Inspired to capture symbolically the impression of riding a skateboard, I discovered and defined 4 elements in the experience. There are three audio tracks that make up this soundscape, representing: (1) literal sounds; (2) figurative physical sounds; and (3) thoughts. The fourth element is the visual aspect. Each is described below.

In order of loudness, the noises I notice are: rubber wheels bumping into sidewalk slots, gliding ball bearings in the wheels, traffic, wind and other natural elements, my shoe sole tapping the ground, my own breathing... To produce the audio segment, I borrowed a recording device called a Marantz Flash Recorder.

To record the literal sounds of riding on a skateboard, I wore the recorder as I rode, along with a 6' microphone cable. I wore headphones to monitor the sounds; they allowed me to test the volume level in order to avoid clipping, and also to determine the optimal placement of the microphone. I held onto a Shure Beta 58A microphone and pointed it downward during the ride, aiming for the rear of the board to minimize the sounds of air striking the mic.

Note: The map at left shows the route I took, traveling 2500 ft in 2 2/3 min, at an average speed of roughly 12 mph. It's a scenic route in the edge of Zilker park, with Barton Springs Pool right nearby. Specifically, I rode alongside Robert E Lee Rd., beginning at Barton Hills Dr. and ending at Barton Springs Rd.

The next element of this soundscape is melodica* track, intended to represent the physical experience of riding, which might include muscle strain, shifting weight to achieve balance, increased heart rate from both energy exertion and also possibly from fear of crashing. The physical experience is noticeable audibly in the breath. So, I chose a melodica to capture artistically the sound of breathing. I played an impromptu series of notes on the keyboard in no particular pattern, focusing primarily on the output of my breath. Attempting to match the style of breathing I experience as I ride, I delivered exhalations deeply and heavily into the melodica, producing sound, and then conversely, as I inhaled, there were silent spaces.

*Note: For anyone unfamiliar with a melodica, this instrument is a cousin to the harmonica and accordion, and it looks like a miniature piano with a tube attached. Air blown into the tube creates sounds when the keyboard keys are pressed.

My inner monologue is the third part of the soundscape. One day riding, in a 3-mile trek to school, song lyrics came to mind. The phrases took the shape of a punk song with a semi-political message, at first. I stopped every so often and wrote the words as they popped up. Later, I revised the words to be a bit more meditative and figurative. Below is the first set of lyrics.

"I ride to school on a skateboard. Don't drive 'cause I hate boredom, and traffic goes too slowly. My riding is unsteady. I crash almost daily. Too much speed for one hill means a nasty spill. I'm skating for Obama. I do support the man. I'm standing for the people with no healthcare plan. I skate to save a dollar. I skate to do my part. I skate because I love it and I feel it in my hard on... Bridge: I don't need an excuse to skate to school (3x) but I do have a few. I ride to school on a skateboard don't drive 'cause I hate boredom, and yo, I gotsta go."

I used a loop-based audio production software called Acid Pro in order to mix the tracks. "Skate Track" is the straight recording of the skateboard being ridden on a sidewalk. This track is completely intact in its original state, with no processing whatsoever. The ride was just under 3 minutes long, and so this is the length of the song. "Breath Track" is the melodica track, which I superimposed on top of itself twice, with subtle panning effects. "Subconscious Track" is the vocal track, which is highly processed. My processing steps included pitch correction and a multi-tap delay effect, with the idea that my inner voice seems kind of beyond me, and supernatural.

Finally, I incorporated the visual element, because I believed it would deliver something interesting in the presentation of my soundscape. I borrowed a Sony DCR-TRV19 camcorder to record video footage. Knowing I am not an exceptional skater, I had no intention of putting myself in the video, so I used the skateboard itself as the protagonist. I created a mounting device to attach the camera to my longboard. To build the mount, I started with a tripod slidebar and used duct tape to make a belt to strap it to the board. The camera, vibrating fiercely at times, recorded some awesome flaws onto the miniDV tape, which show up as strange pixelations and occasional colorful splotches. Like the skateboarding soundtrack, I presented the video footage in its entirely. However, I adjusted it to match the time of the soundtrack by cutting seams in the video and then mangling the speed of clips in order to draw out certain areas of interest. It was a 10-minute ride on Guadalupe, alongside UT campus, condensed with speed adjustments into just under 3 minutes.

I named this soundscape project Shredhead because I think of it as an audio/visual expression from my head, from my innermost, from my subconscious. Click here to experience this soundscape.