For my soundscape, I like the idea of using sounds to create emotions for the audience. I’m most interested in creating something with high contrast, like a mix of sounds that generate stress and sounds that make the audience feel calm. There are so many sounds we overlook throughout our days because they are so recognizable and inextricable from our routines. I like the idea of incorporating these sounds into my soundscape because I find it fascinating how they subconsciously affect our mood. One thing that really inspired my idea is songs that are designed to make the listener feel uncomfortable or stressed because the music builds up but the beat never drops. I think it would be an interesting challenge to try to elicit this response from listeners, while being contradictory by using sounds that have the opposite effect. To gain more ideas I plan on asking people in my life what sounds bring them peace and what sounds cause them stress and then taking that into account for my project. For myself, I already know certain sounds stress me out, such as a car honking or water boiling over onto the stove. I also have sounds I prefer, like the wind or pouring water into a cup. My only concern for being able to produce this idea is that people tend to differ in opinion. What one person may consider an annoying sound, another may find stress relieving. I haven’t decided yet how I want to combine the two types of sounds, either alternating or laying the audios over one another. I plan to experiment and see which way I prefer.
