Reading Response #1

1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose the article "On A Clear Day I can Hear Forever" by Gary Ferrington. The reason I chose this article is because right away I could relate to it. Gary says that he lives in a City, but not a large city, so right away I thought of Milwaukee. As I read the essay I could visualize in my head exactly what was being described, as it was being described I could hear the sounds in my head. I was able to picture and hear the garbage trucks, the people leaving in the morning for work, and the birds chirping in the morning. I could also picture the trains passing by, because about 6 years ago I also lived by train tracks. This leads to another point, he was descriptive with what he heard, so I'm sure that even someone that doesn't hear those sounds often could imagine them in their own head.

2. What are the main points of the essay?
The main point in this essay was describing the different sounds he heard throughout the day. I found it interesting that he would hear such distant sounds and how he became so accustomed to hearing some sounds that he could even tell time based on the sound that he heard. I suppose that it can be said that the essay is also about how we over look some sounds, and don't even notice them. He also seems to say that not many people take the time to just stop and listen to our surroundings. Sometimes we should just sit still and enjoy the silence.

3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
As I wrote before, I like how he was able to put sounds and images in my head. I also like how he was able to isolate specific sounds out of many different sounds in a city. All of these things make me want to provide my listener with a rateable and enjoyable experience. I will attempt to bring various sounds from a city, into one drift.