Interview

Sound walk

For my sound walk experiment, I decided to take a walk along the FDR Drive walking path. It is a very popular spot for runners or to relax and take in the scenery. I visit there often, but this time, left my headphones at home.

I entered the walkway and was impressed by the array of sounds I heard without my usual playlist blocking them out. What stuck out to me the most was the sound of the water. The subtle but prevalent sound was very pleasurable to me, being so used to the constant loudness of the city. 

As I continued walking I came across more and more people. Some running in which I heard their feet rhythmically hitting the ground, some talking about their day, and some playing baseball on the field nearby. It was nice to hear the presence of people nearby and the unique sounds each of them came along with. 

The farther I went on the path, the harder it was to pinpoint the different sounds I was hearing. I began to really listen to the natural sounds I was now surrounded with. The wind whistling, trees swaying, leaves tumbling, and waves hitting the wall seemed to all mesh together, but at the same time had their own separate contribution to nature’s soundtrack.

Overall I am very glad I took part in this assignment. It was a nice break from rushing around the city with my loud headphones pulling me along. The sounds I heard made me feel more in touch with myself and what is actually going on around me. I walked back from the path with a clear head and excited to better observe my surroundings here in New York City. 

Defining a space

Artist Statement

As a future media artist, I hope to inspire people to become individual thinkers and embrace their individuality. In today’s society we are bombarded with images in which we are expected to strive for and become that we tend to lose our originality in the process.

My motivation comes from many of my own life experiences being pressured to look and act a certain way in order to succeed or fit in. Growing up in a very judgmental high school, controlled authorities, and a critical group of friends, I felt I did not have a choice but to conform. Now that I have emerged I look back the impact it has made on my overall happiness and wish to impact others to do the same.

Along with media production I also have an interest in writing, particularly dark fairy tale themed stories or movies with a hidden life lesson. I have learned a lot about women in the media and the amount of expectations we are expected to fulfill for just one person; get an education, have a career, raise a family, and look good while doing it. An example of how I would display this in my work would be to choose a female character that purposely does not fit all these standards to show that you can still be happy despite how much money you make, your relationship status, or not having a Barbie-like waistline.

Some movies that inspire are Alice In Wonderland, Coraline, Edward Scissorhands, Maleficent, The Wizard of Oz, and many more that are unique, entertaining, also have a moral lesson in the end. Each character goes through their own adventure seeking identity or answers to their happiness. Overall, I wish to do the same with my work and inspire people to reflect on what fulfills their own desires, morals, and originality.